PUTRAJAYA – In confirming that an Israeli aircraft was overflying Malaysian airspace recently, the Transport Ministry (MoT) said today that the aircraft did not carry out abnormal flight patterns or loiter within Malaysian airspace.
In a statement acknowledging concerns regarding an Israeli registered aircraft that traversed Malaysian airspace recently, MoT said the civil aircraft had followed a commercial flight path used by any civil aircraft overflying Malaysia, according to the rules stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
The civilian flight took off from Malé, Maldives, bound for Paya Lebar, Singapore, on Wednesday, May 19 at 2.55am, it said.
“Within ICAO rules, Malaysia ensures that overflights are approved based on no reasonable grounds on the threats to the safety and security of our sovereignty,” it said. Malaysia is a member of ICAO.
MoT said the approval for overflight was granted to the civilian Boeing 737-400 aircraft registered to Israel Aerospace Industries-Elta strictly did not allow for landing or loitering over Malaysian airspace.
“There were no abnormal flight patterns or loitering within Malaysian airspace by the said aircraft,” it added.
MoT said Malaysian aviation authorities had determined that the aircraft did not return to Malaysian airspace after arriving at its intended destination in Singapore. – Bernama, May 29, 2021
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