Mystery recipient of phone call by MH370 pilot revealed

Silhouette of man making a phone call
By Alexandra Coulton


As recent research points to a new possible crash site for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, another mystery surrounding the incident has now been solved.

Just weeks before MH370 disappeared, Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah made a “mysterious” 45-minute phone call, and now one of the pilot’s relatives has come forward as the person who answered.

According to The Australian, Zulhaimi Bin Wahidin talked to Zaharie over the phone on 2 February 2014.

Zulhaimi was Zaharie’s first cousin and works as an aircraft engineer. The two men had been employed Malaysia Airlines for more than 25 years when the flight carrying 239 people went missing on 8 March 2014 on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

A leaked police investigative report into MH370 in May 2014 revealed they were suspicious of the mystery phone call, as well as attempts by Zulhaimi to call Zaharie’s mobile three times after MH370 was announced missing.

Zulhaimi told The Australian that Royal Malaysian Police interviewed him “three or four” times following the disappearance of MH370 because they suspected he may have assisted Zaharie in hijacking the plane with technical assistance.

However, Zulhaimi claims he made those calls out of disbelief that the plane was missing, and said he had his cousin had kept in regular contact over the phone for years.

Zulhaimi also professed Zaharie’s innocence, telling The Australian: “They’re trying to blame him for what happened and it’s very hard for me to swallow that because he’s not that kind of a person.

“He was a jovial person. He had a lot of money. He was enjoying his life. Why would he kill himself for no reason? He had a good family and a good life. Successful children. I don’t think people are crazy (enough) to kill themself for nothing.”

Zulhaimi’s revelation comes not long after a new study suggested that MH370 may have in fact crashed in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, to the north-east of Madagascar.

Latest News

  • Aviation

Low-cost Indian carrier SpiceJet continues to burn cash

It’s not just low-cost Australian carriers that are facing hardship. SpiceJet, India’s version of Bonza, recently announced a 72 per cent reduction in its net loss versus last year. But, despite this improvement, the airline has posted losses for six straight years. But it has secured board approval to raise up to INR 30 billion […]

  • Attractions

SAKA Museum recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024

AYANA Resort Bali’s newly-opened cultural and events centre, SAKA Museum has been recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places list for 2024. Part of AYANA Bali’s resort destination, the museum integrates Bali’s rich history with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the centrepiece for the island’s spiritual and cultural heritage. TIME magazine’s inclusion of SAKA Museum in […]

  • Cruise

Silversea taps Barbara Biffi as senior vice president for global sales

Ultra-luxury and expedition cruise travel brand, Silverseas, has announced Barbara Biffi as its new senior vice president of global sales. Biffi joined the company in 2007, holding numerous positions and gaining a deep understanding of the brand, the preferences of its guests and its strategic goals, the company said. An Italian national with a wealth […]

  • Technology
  • Travel Agents

Amadeus welcomes FCM Travel as new reseller partner of Cytric Easy

Cytric Easy, the travel management tool embedded in Microsoft Teams, is to be integrated into FCM Travel portfolio. Amadeus and FCM Travel have extended their Cytric distribution agreement to include Cytric Easy. With this new agreement, global travel management company FCM Travel, becomes a reseller of the innovative travel management collaboration solution embedded into Microsoft […]