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Malaysia Airlines' MH 132 flies in wrong direction

Passengers were not alerted during discussions with air traffic controllers.

London: An investigation has been launched after a Malaysian Airlines plane appeared to fly in the wrong direction after taking off from New Zealand on Christmas Day.

Flight MH132 usually takes a direct route heading north-west over Australia on its way from Auckland to Kuala Lumpur but radar data showed the aircraft heading south for almost an hour.

The New Zealand Herald reported that the pilot questioned the Airbus A330’s path just eight minutes into the flight, which took off at 2.23 am local time. Passengers were not alerted during discussions with air traffic controllers at the Auckland Oceanic control centre, as the plane Tasman Sea before turning north.

Airways, which manages air traffic control for New Zealand, said there were no safety concerns but that it would investigate why the normal flight path had been changed. “We have an internal safety team who will investigate it,” a spokesperson told the Herald.

“The flight plan the airline filed with us was going to Kuala Lumpur but via a slightly different route than the pilot was expecting.” It came as the disappearance of MH370 continues to be investigated, with the search for wreckage in the Indian Ocean — the largest and most expensive hunt of its kind in history — due to end in June.

All 239 passengers and crew were declared dead after their plane vanished on 8 March 2014.

( Source : agencies )
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