Boeing 777 at centre of Malaysia Airlines disappearance had clocked up 'normal' 20,000 hours' flying time
Disappearance shocks experts due to plane's safety record
The Boeing 777 is considered one of the safest aircraft in the skies, with barely a blemish on its 19-year safety record, a fact that has only deepened the mystery over the disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines jet.
The crash landing of an Asiana 777 in San Francisco in July last year was the first fatal incident involving the model; three of the 309 people on board died.
The Malaysia Airlines 777-200ER jet had been operating for 12 years and had logged 20,000 hours in the air, a record experts say is typical for a plane of that age.
The Post spoke to Hong Kong pilots with decades of experience behind them, all of whom were extremely surprised by yesterday’s events, especially given the model involved, and the reputation of the airline.
“The 777 is the safest airlines in the skies right now,” said one captain with more than two decades’ experience, adding that “it’s a remarkably safe and reliable aircraft”.