Budget airline AirAsia's chief executive has praised the pilot who landed an A330 airbus safely in Perth after an engine malfunctioned during a flight with 359 passengers aboard.
Chief executive Tony Fernandes said he was "beaming with pride" over the conduct of the crew, led by pilot Captain Ibrahim, for keeping the frightened passengers calm.
Video footage shows the plane noisily and violently shaking, and passenger Sophie Nicolas said it was a terrifying ordeal in which people were crying.
She described how the captain had told everyone to say a prayer saying "I will be saying a prayer too", which has drawn some criticism, including from the Australian and International Pilots Association.
However, Mr Fernandes said he was "super proud" of Captain Ibrahim and the crew and said the engine failure was not the airline's fault.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
The airline had initially denied there was any evidence of an engine problem when the Sunday flight to Kuala Lumpur had to turn around 90 minutes after take-off from Perth.
"Airasia don't make engines and all airlines have engine failures," Mr Fernandes said in a Facebook post.
"But when it does happen it takes great pilots and great leadership in times of crisis.
"From videos you can see all guests calm, and from the many emails and WhatsApp I got, the captain's announcements kept everyone calm."
If it was a full service airline the pilot would have been a hero, he said.
"But because it's a low-cost carrier, press and so-called experts make wild accusations and forget the heroics of our crew," he said.
AirAsia says it is fully co-operating with an Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation that will also involve engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce.
"AirAsia Group has always strictly followed the maintenance program prescribed by our manufacturers," the company said.
The ATSB said the flight crew detected "moderate airframe vibrations" and the number one engine failed.
