TL;DR – 6 safety investigations in 18 months.
Budget carrier AirAsia X is facing its sixth investigation in Australia regarding safety issues – or rather the lack of it.
Last Saturday October 8, AirAsia X flight D7-200 was diverted from the Gold Coast to Brisbane when its wing flaps failed to fully deploy. It was feared the aircraft would overshoot the runway and plough into traffic.
The Malaysian airline is currently facing investigation from other incidents which include:
- an AirAsia X plane that turned left instead or right on departure from Sydney Airport after incorrect coordinates were entered into the flight computer on March 10, 2015;
- a “loss of separation” involving and AirAsia X A330 and a Jetstar plane over the Gold Coast in July;
- an engine shutdown en route from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur, resulting in a diversion to Melbourne on August 16;
- a taxiing incident in Melbourne last month, in which an AirAsia X aircraft began taxiing before the pushback tug and engine moved clear;
- a descent below minimum safe altitude at Gold Coast Airport on September 11.
Aviation expert, Neil Hansford, asked if they were waiting for a plane crash.
He says, “CASA needs to say (to AirAsia X) “you lose your flight approval to come to Australia, until you raise standards”.
An AirAsia Berhad spokesman said the airline is “committed to ensuring its compliance to all safety and security regulations” and that “the safety of all guests and our crew is our utmost priority at all times”.