The emergency landing of a Cathay Pacific flight from Surabaya, Indonesia, in Hong Kong last week due to engine failure could have ended in tragedy if it were not for the professionalism of its cockpit and cabin crews. Both the Australian pilots have been hailed as heroes for averting a disaster.
With the benefit of hindsight, some of the media have criticised the pilots for carrying on with the flight, claiming they needlessly risked the safety of more than 300 passengers although they knew of the engine problems shortly after take-off.
Some had misreported that the captain knowingly flew the plane on one engine.
Cathay Pacific has stressed that safety is always its No1 priority. It said that, after further investigation of the flight data from CX780, and having interviewed the crew, it was clear that the incident was handled properly and professionally.
The media and critics shouldn't have been overly judgmental without knowing all the facts.
The most important thing is to find out the cause of the engine problems and prevent a recurrence.