THE debris of MH370 B-777 jet carrying 239 passengers is yet to be located.

Unfortunately, civil aviation regulatory authorities in most Southeast Asian countries have been reduced to welfare organisations, providing jobs to retired officers of the armed forces, civil bureaucrats and unqualified personnel.

Many have never worked in commercial civil aviation, nor have they any specialised qualifications in accident investigation; neither do they have any type of ratings on aircraft flown by airline operators under their regulatory control.

Civil aviation regulatory bodies generate plenty of revenues from taxes levied on passengers, overflying traffic navigation services, landing fees, etc. But they continue to take on deputation experienced pilots, technicians and others on the payroll of airlines that they are supposed to streamline for regulatory standard inspection. This stands compromised due to conflict of interests.

In the case of MH370, the Malaysian and Vietnam radar controller and their respective military surveillance radars failed to detect its deviation from the assigned flight path as per the filed flight plan. It also points to the weakness in MAS flight operations central control, especially the role of qualified flight dispatcher and flight operations department.

Had surveillance radars and loss of radio contact been responded to by dispatching military aircraft, what happened on board the ill-fated aircraft could have been identified and the site of its crash located.

Rapid technological advances in aviation demand an upgrading of qualifications for employment of pilots, engineers, mechanics and others, along with hiring the best- qualified top management.

There should be zero tolerance for indiscipline by airline crew and managers implicated in financial indiscipline, both for state-owned airline operators and regulatory body.

Gull Zee

United States