)
AIR ASIA X chief executive Azran Osman-Rani (pictured) believes the airline has no case to answer following an investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) for what it cited were two serious incidents at Gold Coast Airport.
ATSB claims two of the airline’s twin-engine Airbus dropped to unsafe heights over the Gold Coast two weeks ago on separate occasions.
AN ATSB spokesperson confirmed the investigation had been marked as a level 4 that could take up to 9 months, with Level 1 the most severe. The case is considered ‘non complex’ that would normally require the work of two officials.
“AirAsia X has been advised by the ATSB that this is a routine investigation only,” says Osman-Rani.
“We have supplied our flight data which they will then analyse and compare with air traffic control data to find any anomalies.
“We do not believe that passenger safety was compromised at any time, and landings were performed normally under guidance from air traffic controllers.”
The aircraft were being flown on instruments when, according to the Bureau they went below the lowest safe radar altitude at 7.36 am on May 4. A similar incident is believed to have occurred a day earlier.
AirAsia X is a budget carrier that connects the Gold Coast and Melbourne to KL in Malaysia.
)
