MAS Monitoring Situation In Destinations Around Indian Ocean Rim

KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is closely monitoring the flight operations situation at its international destinations around the Indian Ocean rim, subsequent to a 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Aceh, Indonesia today that triggered a tsunami alert by the authorities. The airport authority in Phuket, Thailand announced the closure of the airport in that city after the tsunami alert and Malaysia Airlines cancelled its afternoon flight MH790 that was scheduled to depart KL International Airport (KLIA) for Phuket at 1710 hours on Wednesday. An earlier flight MH786 operated this morning arrived in Phuket and returned to KLIA as normal, MAS said in a statement here. The statement said likewise Malaysia Airlines’ subsidiary Firefly managed to operate its daily flight FY3604 from Penang to Phuket and return flight FY3605 before Phuket airport was closed temporarily. Other destinations along the Indian Ocean rim served daily by Malaysia Airlines’ flights are Colombo (MH179), Chennai (MH180) and Maldives (MH177). Currently these flights are operating on schedule as of Wednesday. Customers are advised to check latest flight status with Malaysia Airlines at its 24 hours Call Centre (1300 88 3000 for calls from within Malaysia and +603 7843 3000 for calls from outside Malaysia) and via online at http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/my/en/book-and-plan/flight-status.html -- BERNAMA