Nearly 200 cabin crew have resigned from Malaysia Airlines which was hit by two deadly tragedies this year, the carrier said Tuesday, and some reportedly cited fears for their safety.
The flag carrier, which prior to this year had a good safety record, has been in the spotlight in the past six months following the disappearance of flight MH370 on March 8 and the shooting down of MH17 on July 17 over rebel-held eastern Ukraine.
The airline said 186 crew had left in the first seven months of this year, with many blaming family pressure prompted by the tragedies.
“Following the MH17 incident, there was a spike in crew resignations but the number has now decreased to acceptable and routinely expected levels,” it said in a statement.
“Many cited ´family pressure´ as the reason for their resignation due to the MH17 and MH370 tragedies.”
The ailing airline’s reputation took yet another hit when a steward was accused of sexually assaulting a passenger.