Passengers not being checked

[Carjockey]

Foreigners slip immigration, Malaysia Airlines gets warning - Malaysiakini (http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/323457)

Does anyone have more details?

[PENKO]

That's an issue for immigration officials, not pilots.

[DirtyProp]

My thoughts as well.
What are the exact responsibilities of the airline? Making sure that all pax go through customs? Isn't that the job of the airport management?

[golfbananajam]

sorry, where does the article blame any pilot?

[Carjockey]

I am not looking to apportion blame, I'm asking if anyone has further details.

[Hotel Tango]

Probably for the SLF forum. I would guess it's the handling agency that's to blame. If MAS do their own handling then, yes, it will be MAS that gets their hand slapped.

[No Fly Zone]

If find this both amusing and possibly a serious security breach. That sad, and as noted by several others, how is this relevant to pilots? Pilots drive airplanes, usually in the safest way possible (although at MAS that may be questionable). They are not immigration officers!:eek:

[PENKO]

How would this be a security breach? Upset immigration officers yes. Upset handling agent yes. Maybe some illegal aliens entered the country. Maybe some toursist don't have the required stamps. But other than that?

Aircraft from Myanmar diverts to Langkawi due to bad wx at destination Kuala Lumpur. Not all pax pass through immigration. On the subsequent flight to Kuala Lumpur the pax are all handled as domestic. Where is the security risk?

[wiggy]

how is this relevant to pilots?

I can be as keen on the "driver, airframe" approach as the next pilot on occasions but certainly our Ops manual (and national law) makes it very clear that the aircraft commander is responsible for making sure that passengers and crew comply with local customs and immigration procedures - especially in the case of a diversion.

Now that may well be delegated to a local handling agent but it's worth knowing who might end carrying at least part of the blame if the agents stuff up...or don't show up at all.

[PENKO]

If you are parked at a remote stand in Langkawi, how can you possibly know as a pilot wether your passengers are coached/walked to the correct entry? I don't know Langkawi operationally, but looking at my own destinations, sometimes it is clear that my passengers are going through a domestic arrival gate, but other times I would not have a clue. That responsibility is delegated to the handler. Same as I don't personally count the bags in the cargo holds...

I do take your point on board that during a diversion one might have to double check wether pax have been through immigration already. Having said that, I still don't see the big deal. These things happen. It's not newsworthy.

[wiggy]

Fair point, I accept it depends where you are.

I certainly know of one major airport where a few captains have been hauled over the coals because passengers had not complied with a required immigration process (funnily enough international passengers ending up on a domestic gate, yes, a ground handling stuff up, but the P1's got it in the neck..."because they should have known") so I'm very wary of using the "it's nothing to do with us, we're only pilots" line of defence....at the very least I make sure I'm on record :ok: as having tried to make sure things were done properly...:mad:

[SMT Member]

That responsibility is delegated to the handler.

Not quite. You may outsource the work, but never the responsibility.