MH17 crash: Malaysian Airlines have a lot to answer

In less than five months from now when the Malaysian Airlines jetliner MH 370 disappeared and which till date remains an unsolved international mystery, little was expected that a similar tragedy would struck the airline yet again.

Flight MH 17 with 280 passengers and 15 crew members which was shot down near Ukraine-Russia border on Thursday has shell-shocked the whole world bringing the airline into a crisis with two rare aviation disasters.

With another airline disaster striking soon, no doubt Malaysian authorities and the airlines in particular have a lot of explanation to make.

"If it transpires that the plane was indeed shot down, we insist that the perpetrators must swiftly be brought to justice,"Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told a pre-dawn news conference in Kuala Lumpur. "This is a tragic day, in what has already been a tragic year for Malaysia,"he further added.

Why was the short route taken? Were they not aware of Ukraine crisis?

The ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine over control of Crimean Peninsula has escalated tension in the region in the recent past. But the big question is were the Malaysian airlines not aware of the increasingly volatile region. What's surprising is why the airline have not revised their air route in view of the ongoing Russia and Ukraine conflict. More appalling is that the airline believed that the routes are safe with assumptions that militants would differentiate between civilian and military planes. Apparently not! Were they trying to save fuel at the cost of innocent lives?

World leaders called for a transparent international probe into the case

Putting at risk the life of 295 people on board the Malaysian airlines definitely needs to answer these questions.

"The usual flight route was earlier declared safe by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Our focus now is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilize its full support to provide all possible care to the next of kin," said the statement of the Malaysian Airline post the incident.

No lessons learnt from MH370

The tragic crash of MH 17 being second within months and both of them suffering mass-casualty, only proves that Malaysian Airlines have not learnt much lessons from the past. The disappearance of flight MH 370 in March, somewhere over Indian ocean had only put lot of international pressure on Malaysian authorities, and with another similar crash will bring agonizing encounter with international scrutiny and recriminations from investigating agencies.

Malaysian Airlines should shut down

After hearing the tragic news the social network went viral with people sharply reacting to the loss of innocent lives. Many people even commented with anger asking the airline to shut down in the wake of these crashes.

"While I personally feel very hesitant to fly Malaysian airlines again because of the crashes in the last few months, I also feel it was bad luck as well as negligence on the airlines part. They could have done better job after handling the after math of MH 370 crisis," said Nitisha, a Delhi University student who recently travelled in Malaysian airlines.

What aviation experts say

Aviation expert Bruce Rodger while speaking to The Wire on possibility of the plane being shot down reiterated," A plane that has been shot down, would have pieces of debris over a wide area. The plane which crashes in the ground can have three or four football field lengths of debris while one shot down can have miles of debris." He further said that changing routes will escalate fuel cost and will further impact the floundering airline.

Can this tragedy escalate tension between Russia and the West?

Any sign of Ukrainian, Russian or separatist involvement in the crash would lead to a serious escalation of tension in the region. Even though President Obama asked Russian President Putin to take all measures to de-escalate tension in the region, but if Russia is not able to control separatist involvement than it can further face isolation from the international community. This will further escalate tension between Russia and the US.

Russia-Ukraine blame game continues

The blame game between Russia and Ukraine over apparent shooting of the Malaysian jet continued post the crash. The Ukraine Government have accused the insurgents funded by Russia for the crash and is acting as a disruptive force in the region. Russia on the other hand points on Ukraine of being unable to control its own airspace.

Prompt investigation needed

The Malaysian Government has sent 62 people to Ukraine to probe MH17 crash. International probe have been demanded by the world leaders wit UN secretary general Ban-ki-Moon calling for a transparent international investigation of the incident. The proper investigation can only help in knowing the real cause of the crash.