Tony Fernandes is sorry for in-flight magazine article

Malaysia-based low-cost airline AirAsia on Saturday apologised for an article published in its in-flight magazine Travel 3Sixty. The article allegedly made a sarcastic reference to the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, MH370.

Chief Executive Tony Fernandes tweeted, "magazine was printed before incident. As soon as we were informed on Twitter, we withdrew. Once again, apologises. It has been a difficult time for all in the industry".

He said the article had been written by a retired AirAsia pilot, who has written a book and has monthly articles on aviation.

According to reports, the article was a feature on global positioning system (GPS) navigation used on flights, and it included incidents where pilots had landed in the wrong airport.

The reports showed the last passage that read, "training and preparation — pilot training in AirAsia is continuous and very thorough. Rest assured that your captain is well-prepared to ensure your plane will never get lost. Have a safe flight."

Kamarudin Meranun, AirAsia Executive Chairman and Publisher of the magazine on Saturday said, "With deep regret and remorse I would like to sincerely apologise for any offence caused by the Pilot's Perspective article in the latest issue of Travel 3Sixty magazine".

“As a monthly contributor, Captain Lim prepared all articles months in advance before the magazine went to print. Unintentionally and regrettably, the current issue carried an article that discussed about GPS and radar, which was printed a month before its issue date.”

“We've addressed the issue and have improved our editorial approval process to ensure this does not happen in the future and ensure that all content in the magazine is consistent with our brand values. Disciplinary action will be taken against the editorial team as well," he said.

The airline decided to remove the magazine from all of its flights immediately.