Aviation
Missing Malaysian plane: Malaysia officials under pressure from China
KUALA LUMPUR — The crisis surrounding the missing Malaysian Flight 370 is looking to intensive as Senior Malaysian officials are growing increasingly frustrated and privately incensed at what they see as excessive pressure from China.
The search for the jet, which vanished in early March, is testing ties between the two countries in a year that their governments had earlier declared “China-Malaysia Friendship Year” to mark 40 years of diplomatic relations.
Two-thirds of the 227 passengers aboard the flight were Chinese, and some of their family members have led a wave of criticism of Malaysia—with the Chinese government’s tacit support—putting Kuala Lumpur on the defensive.
Many of the passengers’ relatives do not believe the official account that the plane was lost at sea and accuse Malaysia of hiding what really happened. Some of the Chinese residents have taken part in protests in that would have been impossible if directed at their own government, including marching in the streets of Beijing carrying signs with slogans such as: “Malaysia Airlines, You Owe Us Answers!”Publicly, Malaysia has tried to placate angry relatives by sending high-level officials to meet with them. But privately, Malaysia is upset that China has allowed such an aggressive approach. Officials see it as hypocritical for China to be demanding that another government be more transparent.
“There is a growing feeling on the Malaysian side that this is a cynical ploy to exploit families in order to deflect attention from China’s domestic political concerns,” said one person close to the investigation in Malaysia.
The Chinese families have been through an emotional wringer and don’t see it that way. The actions of Chinese relatives have been “purely initiated by family members ourselves,” said Steven Wang, who joined last week’s protest. His mother was on Flight 370.
Ei Sun Oh, a Malaysian and senior fellow with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said that if the majority of passengers had been U.S. citizens, Americans “would voice dissatisfaction, but they would go to court and sue Malaysia left and right.” Beijing appears to be eager to distract attention from its own limited capacity to find the airplane by allowing protests to take place, he said. “What the Chinese government fears the most is its own population turning its anger against them.” Roderic Wye, associate fellow at the U.K. think tank Chatham House, says that China is also trying to manage its reputation on the international stage. “It is a matter of considerable pride for the Chinese government to show that it can stand up and protect its citizens overseas,” Mr. Wye said. “They haven’t been able to show that.”
A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, Hong Lei, said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal that finding Flight 370 is the priority. “The Chinese side will continue to cooperate closely and communicate with the Malaysian side,” he said, adding that China had spared no effort to assist in the search.
On Tuesday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pressed Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott during a telephone call that the Australian-led search operation “should not be relaxed, much less abandoned,” the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Huang Huikang, China’s ambassador to Malaysia, said in a briefing to local media Wednesday that China’s government felt “gratitude” for the Southeast Asian country’s efforts but said that Malaysia had shown inadequacy in some operations and in coordinating different departments, as well as releasing contradictory and inconsistent information.“But it is a very big disaster and nothing is perfect,” Mr. Huang said. “We can’t pass all the responsibilities to the Malaysian government. … I personally feel that the Malaysian government has put in its greatest efforts.”
The Malaysians have been meeting the families constantly. On Wednesday morning, representatives from 18 Chinese families met with a high-level Malaysian group of officials including technical experts and police, led by department of civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman. The families had arrived Sunday to demand that Malaysia tell them the truth about the aircraft’s fate.
Flight 370 has not been seen since the early hours of March 8 when it lost contact with air traffic controllers on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. Officials believe it crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, thousands of miles off course. Mystery still surrounds why it went off course and investigators have focused on the crew, but no motive has been found for what Malaysian authorities have termed “deliberate action” in flying the plane and cutting off its communication systems. China is keen to show itself as a superpower but has been unable to match the technology provided by the U.S. and other nations to search for the missing aircraft, although it has sent several ships and planes and provided satellite imagery.
A Chinese military analyst, Wang Xiaoxuan, director of the Naval Research Institute of the People’s Liberation Army, wrote an editorial Wednesday in the China Daily newspaper that said the search has highlighted his country’s “lack of professional equipment,” including undersea probes and satellite tracking.
“There is certainly pressure on the Chinese government,” Mr. Wye said, “and it does help to a certain extent if [Beijing] can shift some of that pressure away from the Chinese government to the Malaysians.”
Despite the spat, however, the long-term impact is likely to be small, say analysts. “The foundation of the bilateral relationship stays the same,” said Huang Jing, director of Centre on Asia and Globalisation at Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, who added that the countries have strong economic ties. However, he said, “the situation will remain tense as long as the plane is missing.”
– WALLSTREET JOURNAL
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced stringent measures against pilots and crew members who work for multiple airlines concurrently, a practice it describes as a serious safety violation.
In a letter dated November 6, 2024, Acting Director-General, Chris Nojomo warned that pilots operating for more than one airline without specific safety protocols pose significant risks to Nigeria’s aviation sector.
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The directive, titled “Prohibition of Ad-Hoc Flight Operators for Multiple Airlines,” noted that NCAA surveillance reports revealed multiple cases of unauthorized cross-airline work by flight crews, which the agency now plans to address.
According to the NCAA, simulator and proficiency checks endorsed on a pilot’s license are valid only for the specific airline and training program under which they were issued.
The letter stated, “With effect from the date of issuance of this directive, all operators and holders of pilot licenses are informed that this action will be treated as a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.”
The NCAA’s new policy, effective November 11, 2024, warns that violators will face strict enforcement actions. Moving forward, simulator renewals will also be filed directly with individual operators, further tightening the agency’s oversight.
In a bold step to strengthen Akwa Ibom’s position in Nigeria’s aviation industry, Governor Umo Eno announced the addition of two new Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft to the fleet of the state-owned airline, Ibom Air, on Friday.
The two aircraft, registered as 5N-CED and 5N-CEE, mark a milestone in the state’s commitment to strategic investment, with the governor stressing that the acquisitions were fully funded by state resources without loans from financial institutions.
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At a welcoming ceremony attended by local officials and residents, Governor Eno emphasized his administration’s mission to drive revenue-generating ventures for Akwa Ibom rather than relying on debt.
He called the move a step toward breaking the cycle of government investments that only serve to pay off loans, vowing that the state’s funds would go towards projects that bring returns to the people.
The governor challenged Ibom Air to turn a profit by 2025, stating that the airline’s management should ensure routes in and out of Uyo remain dependable to prioritize the needs of Akwa Ibom travelers.
“As long as I remain governor, we will continue to use state funds for the benefit of all, not for private gain,” he said, noting that his administration aims to ensure that public investments deliver real value to the state.
Governor Eno also provided updates on several ambitious state projects, including an 18-story commercial complex underway in Lagos and an upcoming 4-star hotel in Abuja, both designed to generate revenue for Akwa Ibom.
Plans for an international market in Ikot Ekpene and the phased opening of a new terminal at the Victor Attah International Airport were also announced, with the airport terminal set for partial operation by December and full activation in early 2025.
Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, commended Eno’s financial management, highlighting that the administration has avoided seeking loans over the past 18 months despite launching significant development projects.
Ibom Air’s Chairman, Pastor Imoabasi Jacob, expressed appreciation for the state’s investment in the airline, which has seen its fleet grow to nine aircraft.
Jacob credited the governor’s support with enabling Ibom Air to boost flight capacity, meeting demand on popular routes such as Uyo-Lagos-Abuja.
Captain Mfon Udom, CEO of Ibom Air, stated that the expanded fleet will improve efficiency and allow the airline to scale up its operations in time for the Christmas travel season.
Udom also noted that the airline anticipates the delivery of nine additional Airbus planes, which will further strengthen Ibom Air’s market presence.
Traditional leaders, including HRM Edidem Ita Edet Okokon III of Okobo Local Government Area, lauded the governor’s leadership, pledging continued support from the traditional institutions.
Anie Essienette, Group Manager for Marketing and Communications at Ibom Air, noted that demand for the airline’s services has surged nationwide, with the new CRJ900 aircraft helping meet this increasing need while the airline awaits further fleet expansion.
Nigeria’s Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo is of the view that there’s no cause for alarm over the approval of a private airstrip for a religious organisation, which attracted the attention of the House of Representatives.
He took to his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Friday morning to shed light on the subject, and explained that it could be a great source of revenue for Federal Government.
Keyamo asserted that the issue was raised by an honourable member at plenary, out of ignorance, but was “unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into.”
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Keyamo expressed confidence that by the time his Ministry was done enlightening them, “they will be satisfied”.
He added that “the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.”
Keyamo wrote, “I think this is not correct. The House of Reps. as a body did not call on the Minister to revoke the license of any private airstrip.
“I think what happened is that someone moved a motion in that regard and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into it.
“Whilst the intention of the Hon. Member who moved it is very patriotic, it was based on a complete lack of knowledge of the aviation sector.
“By the time we explain to them how private air strips work and the processes they undergo by our agencies before the final approval, they will be satisfied.
“The responsibility of the owners of private air strips is just to build the runway and terminal building. But after they build the control tower in particular, it is completely handed over to the Federal Government through NAMA (Nigerian Airspace Management Agency) which is in complete control of the entire airspace in Nigeria. An MOU is usually signed with NAMA in this regard before the airstrip is approved for operations.
“It is NAMA that provides the Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers in ALL AIRPORTS and AIRSTRIPS IN NIGERIA. And the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.
“No object flies into Nigeria without the prior clearance by NAMA and without filing a clear flight plan, eg, where it is taking off from and where it intends to land.
“And I have recently directed that all aircraft coming into the country MUST first land at our international airports where they would be properly processed and checked before they make their local flights into whatever airport or airstrip they intend to go. So, it is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY impossible for any private airstrip owner to just jump on an aircraft and fly in and out of the country through that facility. The Federal Government does not permit that. You will not be cleared for take off or landing without prior request and authorisation.
“I thank the Member for his patriotism, but I wish he contacted us first to explain to him before rushing to move such a motion.
“I attach herewith for public consumption the NAMA Act that gives exclusive control of the Nigerian airspace to the Federal Government through NAMA.”
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