Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has rejected rumours that some families of the passengers who were on the missing flight MH370 were flown from Beijing to India instead of Malaysia.
The rumour, which apparently originated from a Taiwanese news report, claimed that “MAS had offered to send two relatives of each Chinese passenger to Kuala Lumpur, where they can stay and wait for news” of their missing loved ones.
However, there was a mix-up in transit at the Hong Kong International Airport and the families were flown to Mumbai in India instead of Malaysia as planned, the rumour said.
The rumour was carried by several news outlets, including the Singapore Press Holdings’ portals, Straits Times Online Mobile Print (STOMP), and Asiaone.
STOMP, which reported the rumour, posted on its Facebook page:
“Chinese families of MH370 passengers fuming as MAS offers to bring them to KL – but lands them in India instead.”
The airline said of the rumour, “This is not true.”
In a statement on 13 March, MAS said:
“Malaysia Airlines flies directly from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur without a transit. There is also no Malaysia Airlines direct flight from Hong Kong to Mumbai or any part of India.”
Flight MH370 has been missing since it went off the radar last Saturday while on its journey from Malaysia to Beijing in China. It had 227 passengers of 14 nationalities and a crew of 12 on board.
The search for the missing Boeing 777 continues.
You can follow updates from Malaysia Airlines here: Malaysia Airlines Facebook Page.
Here is Malaysia Airlines’ statement in full:
