By P. Prem Kumar
KUALA LUMPUR
Malaysia Airlines - troubled by back to back disasters following the loss of flight MH370 and the downing of MH17 - suffered another blow to its reputation Sunday after a flight bound for India had to turn back shortly after takeoff following an on board computer problem.
The plane - Flight MH198 - however, safely landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Sepang, after being seen circling to burn fuel in order to make the return landing.
Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the MH198 pilots decided to make the U-turn "early this morning" because of problems with the autopilot.
He added that the flight - originally destined for Hyderabad - was not suitable for manual flying.
Anadolu Agency made several efforts to contact the airline Sunday but as of early evening local time calls had still not been returned.
MAS is restructuring after the two tragedies that claimed some 500 lives.
The airline is to be delisted and restructured to save operating costs that includes the laying off of 6,000 employees.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished March 8 with all 239 people on board soon after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur -- the aircraft is yet to be found -- and four months later flight MH17 carrying 298 people was shot down over Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
www.aa.com.tr/en
