AirAsia Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes lauded the bravery and leadership shown by the crew members of AirAsiaX flight D7237 last Sunday.

In a status uploaded onto his Facebook, Fernandes said the crew led by Captain Ibrahim did a 'superb, heroic job' in ensuring the safety of passengers.

He said the incident has been unfairly reported by some media, adding that this could be because AirAsia is a low cost airline.


"When a plane suffers from an engine failure, it takes great pilots and great leadership in times of crisis. I'm beaming with pride," he wrote.

Fernandes said the announcement made by the Captain also helped to calm the passengers.

"From videos you can see all guests calm, and from the many emails and whatsapp I got, the Captain's announcements kept everyone calm," he said.

The AirAsia X flight D7237 with 359 people on board was bound for Kuala Lumpur from Perth but returned to Perth Airport due to a 'technical reason'.

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Many news reports said that the flight was shaking "like a washing machine" during the incident.

Following the incident, AirAsia X said it is investigating the incident.

“We are currently conducting an investigation into the cause of the incident together with our engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce.