MH 777 missing - MH370 media statement

[Austman]

Yes and no. The passport information provided in the booking may be extensively used. Physical passport vs name on boarding pass not so much...

Yes. But with Qantas at least, you don't always need to put the passport info into the booking prior to check-in. I guess the point I was trying to make is that it seems in some countries departing passengers are not always checked as thoroughly as arriving passengers.

 

[Mal]

Yes. But with Qantas at least, you don't always need to put the passport info into the booking prior to check-in. I guess the point I was trying to make is that it seems in some countries departing passengers are not always checked as thoroughly as arriving passengers.

But every airline I have used swipes it. It seems a massive loophole that some airlines do not upload and validate the data. I'm not suggesting terrorists are involved, but there seems to be a lax attitude to checking.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

There will be a temporary restricted area declared in the search areas with ownership reverting back to the respective RCCs.

One would imagine the P3s are on permanent standby with at least a few at bases across northern Au, so is a delay of 2 days in scrambling these aircraft considered acceptable in SAR terms? (Genuine question)

 

[markis10]

But every airline I have used swipes it. It seems a massive loophole that some airlines do not upload and validate the data. I'm not suggesting terrorists are involved, but there seems to be a lax attitude to checking.

3K dont require doc checks ex Singapore for quite a few destinations now.

 

[JohnK]

not our lives but our deaths ......I believe in free will and that we are responsible for how we live our lives and what we make of them. Do feel that when it is our time to go we go.

Interesting theory. A bit like Final Destination but not that far fetched?

 

[markis10]

One would imagine the P3s are on permanent standby with at least a few at bases across northern Au, so is a delay of 2 days in scrambling these aircraft considered acceptable in SAR terms? (Genuine question)

I doubt they are on permanent standby, they left last night so its less than two days. Given its the weekend, and its overseas, probably a reasonable time frame. I would be more concerned about the delay in searching form the locals which appears to have been significant. Sunrise Saturday morning should have seen a hive of activity.

 

[RooFlyer]

I doubt they are on permanent standby, they left last night so its less than two days. Given its the weekend, and its overseas, probably a reasonable time frame. I would be more concerned about the delay in searching form the locals which appears to have been significant. Sunrise Saturday morning should have seen a hive of activity.

Especially if you think about the process:

1. Establish availability of aircraft (ie not undergoing major maintenance etc) and crews
2. Aust govt and Aust military liaising as to exactly what the capability will be, timeframes, support, logistics
3. Aust Govt making offer to Malaysian Govt, at a time when you can imagine the Malaysian's resources to react will be stretched
4. Malaysian Govt liaising with their own people as to acceptance and details.

 

[markis10]

Especially if you think about the process:

1. Establish availability of aircraft (ie not undergoing major maintenance etc) and crews
2. Aust govt and Aust military liaising as to exactly what the capability will be, timeframes, support, logistics
3. Aust Govt making offer to Malaysian Govt, at a time when you can imagine the Malaysian's resources to react will be stretched
4. Malaysian Govt liaising with their own people as to acceptance and details.

We do have a RAAF base near Penang -Butterworth (although its closing), which helps.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Stolen passports don't bring a plane down.

If there is a causal link, then it hasn't been established well.

'Spies' heading to Beijing ?? Not unusual.

 

[samh004]

But every airline I have used swipes it. It seems a massive loophole that some airlines do not upload and validate the data. I'm not suggesting terrorists are involved, but there seems to be a lax attitude to checking.

Could simply be a case of differing systems. Everyone seems to have their own these days and they don't all work together. Perhaps the budget for making them work together was spent on something else.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Especially if you think about the process:

1. Establish availability of aircraft (ie not undergoing major maintenance etc) and crews
2. Aust govt and Aust military liaising as to exactly what the capability will be, timeframes, support, logistics
3. Aust Govt making offer to Malaysian Govt, at a time when you can imagine the Malaysian's resources to react will be stretched
4. Malaysian Govt liaising with their own people as to acceptance and details.

I guess I'm a bit more demanding but given the plane was missing from radar and out of communications in a fairly populated area, with at the time, a belief that 7 Aussies and 2 Kiwis were amongst 239 missing people (a major incident in anyones book), just might have spurred immediate action. The Defence Force would know without hesitation which assets were available to scramble and from which bases and I believe there would be standby crew available for immediate deployment. The planes locale was also decided early on that it would most likely be over water which means a) given loss of power and gliding capabilities, there could be survivors in the water; and b) it's possibly international waters anyway, surrounded by "friendly" countries and with a flight time of about 6-7 hours out of Darwin.

Australia spends a fortune on military exercises, so even if this did turn out to be a red herring, surely such an operation can easily (and rightly) be chalked up to an exercise that possible had a real life saving purpose?

 

[Flying mermaid]

I think that losing someone and just waiting to find out what has happened must be excruciating pain. I don't know how the parents of children who are abducted and are never seen again actually cope. Or even live. This to me is the meaning of closure. Finding out what happened.

I agree with this - the son of a friend of mine committed suicide in January - it was 2 weeks before they found him after a massive search. While she is now going through hell and will always have a part of her missing, at least the finding of the body brought some relief to the daily agony of hope and fear. It must be terrible at the moment for the friends and relatives as they wait (and hope).

 

[Jack_OC]

Stolen passports don't bring a plane down.

If there is a causal link, then it hasn't been established well.

'Spies' heading to Beijing ?? Not unusual.

It's clear that these people were doing something illegal. I doubt they were spies, as I imagine spy agencies would use slightly more sophisticated methods than travelling on passports that could be confirmed as stolen by a simple database check.

In any case, I agree there might be no connection between what these people were up to and what happened the plane. Nonetheless, it is deeply worrying that people can so easily travel on a stolen passport. It certainly can't help counter terrorism measures if the real identity of pax is unknown.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

We do have a RAAF base near Penang -Butterworth (although its closing), which helps.

I thought Butterworth closed years ago!!

 

[defurax]

'Spies' heading to Beijing ?? Not unusual.

I didn't know spies were big on hidden city ticketing. I'd think failing to board the flight to AMS would raise more suspicions for PAX in transit.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Interesting theory. A bit like Final Destination but not that far fetched?

No idea - is that a TV series? We all have our personal belief systems that makes life workable for us. I like mine, as it takes away a lot of stress over safety issues. Not that I throw myself over cliffs or choose Afghanistan as a holiday destination.

 

[drron]

Though it is quite possible that authorities thought debris would have been found fairly quickly in view of the location and busy shipping lanes.So offer only made when nothing turned up on the first day.

 

[markis10]

I thought Butterworth closed years ago!!

Will soon

http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/travel-news/butterworth-to-close-58273.html

 

[prozac]

From Reuters; Missing Malaysian jet may have disintegrated in mid-air: source | Reuters

An Interpol spokeswoman said a check of all documents used to board the plane had revealed more "suspect passports" that were being further investigated. She was unable to say how many, or from which country or countries.


Malaysia's state news agency quoted Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as saying the passengers using the stolen European passports were of Asian appearance, and criticizing border officials who let them through.


"I am still perturbed. Can't these immigration officials think? Italian and Austrian (passport holders) but with Asian faces," he was quoted as saying late on Sunday.

Will be a tightening of security at KLIA.

 

[markis10]

Will be a tightening of security at KLIA.

"I am still perturbed. Can't these immigration officials think? Italian and Austrian (passport holders) but with Asian faces,"

Clearly the home minister thinks no Asians must hold Austrian or Italian passports!