PETALING JAYA: A former Malaysia Airlines (MAS) senior pilot has questioned whether lapses in airport security screening allowed a crew member to allegedly smuggle drugs, following the recent arrest of a pilot in Indonesia.
Former MAS director of flight operations Capt Mohd Kamil Abu Bakar said the incident highlighted potential weaknesses in airport security procedures that warrant a thorough investigation.
He noted that the crew member’s checked baggage would have undergone X-ray screening after check-in, while all flight crew were also required to pass through security screening with their hand-carried items before boarding.
“So far, it appears he cleared all security checks, yet a small bottle of urine and a packet of powdery substance were not detected.
“It was reported that the Second Officer arrested was found to have a clean urine sample in a small bottle when checked in Jakarta.
“The question now is how these items escaped detection during X-ray screening,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He also questioned how the contents of the crew member’s checked luggage allegedly went undetected, noting that all checked baggage should have been screened before departure.
Mohd Kamil, who is also former MAS chief pilot for flight safety and security, stressed that the incident did not compromise the safety of the flight.
He explained that although the arrested pilot was in uniform and part of the operating crew, he did not take part in flying the aircraft because he was serving as the Second Officer.
The reports describing the pilot as “flying under the influence” are understandable but not entirely accurate, he said.
“The flight in question was a training flight. Although there is no regulatory requirement, the airline’s practice is to assign a safety pilot who occupies the jumpseat behind the two operating pilots.
“He serves as an additional pair of eyes and ears, and plays no part in flying the aircraft,” he added.
Mohd Kamil’s comments came after the government said it was considering strengthening airport security measures and reviewing background and health screening procedures for Malaysia Airlines pilots.
On July 28, a 39-year-old Malaysian pilot was arrested at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after officers discovered 70,114 ecstasy pills and methamphetamine in his luggage.
