Snake incident managed according to SOP

PETALING JAYA: The Transport Ministry is working closely with the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) following the discovery of a snake on board a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

The Transport Minister said CAAM, as the technical safety and security regulator, had managed the case well with the airline, according to all safety procedures and regulations.

“Every airline follows strict mandatory detailed pre-flight checks as part of regulated requirements and standard operating procedure. As a follow-up, CAAM will continue to monitor the situation with the airline management to ensure all risks are mitigated correctly and accordingly.

“CAAM will not compromise on any issue that could potentially jeopardise the safety and security of airline operations,” said Dr Wee, who is also MCA president.

The incident involved an AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau, Sabah, on Friday, in which a snake was discovered on board.

The flight was safely diverted to Kuching International Airport, Sarawak, following required safety procedures.

AirAsia chief safety officer Capt Liong Tien Ling had said that appropriate action was taken to get the reptile out of the aircraft before it was rerouted back to Tawau.

He said the safety and well-being of passengers and crew were always the airline’s top priority.

It was unclear how the snake got into the aircraft, or if it belonged to any of the passengers.

No one was injured in the incident.