There have been only two major commercial airliner crashes in the world this year, i.e. MH370 where 239 people are presumed dead and MH17 with its 295 passengers and crew. Both involve Malaysia Airlines.
Newly minted Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai is now even-Steven with his cabinet colleague Hisham Hussein who was the previous acting Transport Minister. Both are our government spokesman on airplane disappearance/downing that have each cost between 200 and 300 lives.
Najib’s ministers are in the international limelight for the most unfortunate ‘wrong’ reasons. Why Malaysia? Why our country?
Other plane crashes in 2014 have been mostly small passenger aircraft like Cessna and Fokker which recorded less than a dozen fatalities and military aircraft, none of which exceeded two digits in fatalities.
2014 plane crashes
January
Jan 18: Trans Guyana Airways’ Cessna crashed in Guyana – 2 dead
Jan 20: Scoala Superioara’s Britten Norman (light utility aircraft) crashed in Romania – 2 dead
February
Feb 11: Algerian Air Force’s Lockheed Hercules crashed in Algeria – 77 dead
Feb 16: Nepal Airlines’ de Havilland Twin Otter crashed in Nepal – 18 dead
Feb 21: Libyan Air Cargo’s Antonov crashed in Tunisia – 11 dead
Feb 26: Maui Air’s Piper Chieftain crashed in Hawaii – 3 dead
March
Mar 8: Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing crashed in Indian Ocean – 239 DEAD
Mar 22: Skydive Caboolture’s Cessna crashed in Queensland – 5 dead
April
Apr 8: Hageland Aviation Services’s Cessna crashed in Alaska – 2 dead
Apr 19: Lineas Aereas Comerciales’ Hawker crashed in Mexico – 8 dead
Apr 20: Suomen Urheiluilmailijat’s Aerocomp crashed in Finland – 8 dead
May
May 8: Alisansa’s Douglas (fixed-wing propeller aircraft) crashed in Colombia – 6 dead
May 17: Laos Air Force’s Antonov crashed in Laos – 16 dead
June
Jun 14: Ukraine Air Force’s Ilyushin crashed in Ukraine – 49 dead
July
Jul 2: Skyward International Aviation’s Fokker crashed in Nairobi – 4 dead
Jul 5: Private parachuting school’s Piper crashed in Poland – 11 dead
Jul 17 – Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing 777 crashed near Donetsk, Ukraine – 298 DEAD (295 passengers + 3 babies)
Source: http://www.planecrashinfo.com
Malaysia hardest hit
Out of all the countries in the world, only Malaysia has been struck by two such massive air tragedies within such a short span of time.
Even the war-torn Iraq, Syria, Somalia and Sudan have not had their planes – whether passenger or military – fall from the sky like this.
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Previous posting:
Helen Ang 
Errrr…Helen, typo error on the total nos of MH17 passengers died; should be 295, not 395).
Thank you. Corrected.
Surely it is not our fault. MAS is run by super capable people. You think we need to fly over war zone to save fuel? No! We have zillion dollars to pump into MAS. So now, We must send troops to invade Ukraine!!! We cannot let Ukraine menghina Negara bangsa and ugama!!!
You are not Isma.
You’re a Red Beanie.
No am not. Was the Isma fellow on the plane??
No you’re not a Red Beanie? Wakakakaka
red beanie….?
i’d rather say ‘red beanut’…..
Allah’s punishment for Malaysia especially those who trying to use His name to gain political support.
No. It’s punishment for KM.
Note: Commenter above is a chameleon impersonating Isma.
when did He tell you?
I wonder what horrible allegations the Australian press will now direct against the Malaysian government.
The only-to-be expected snipes from the local opposition have already started.
See http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2014/07/18/some-other-asian-carriers-abandoned-ukraine-airspace-months-ago/
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/269160
Two tragedies for MAS this year. Poor MAS. Maybe its jinx, a complete makeover of our national carrier by completely dissolving MAS and start over a new one fresh is needed. Maybe we’ll name it Negaraku Airlines.
Maybe it’s the Transport Ministry that’s jinxed. Another Minister, another crash.
I have to ask, does Somalia and Sudan even have an airline that does international routes?
I know some countries, like Indonesia, is blacklisted from having their airline do certain international routes due to not reaching safety protocols. Same goes for Afghanistan. Can’t get your plane shot down if you don’t fly at all.
I kinda think this 2nd incident is really bad luck of the highest order, or that we’re a pawn in a really bad geopolitical tussle.
There’s a Somali Air Force. They have the same type of Soviet-era military planes like the one recently shot down over Ukraine.
Ditto Sudan.