Two cabin crew swapped shifts so they would not be on the doomed Malaysian airliner downed by a missile in eastern Ukraine, after raising concerns about the safety of flying over the war zone.

Other senior pilots and cabin crew had flagged up fears about the flightpath in the weeks leading up to the tragedy, although Malaysia Airlines last night denied ignoring crew concerns.

Some staff are reported to have refused to fly over the airspace where the passenger airliner was downed because they deemed it to be too volatile and dangerous, especially after two Ukrainian planes, a fighter jet and a transport aircraft, were shot down by rebels.

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Malaysia Airlines stewardess Angeline Premila Rajandaran, 30, who was the youngest member of crew on board flight MH17 when it was shot down over Ukraine

According to well-placed Malaysia Airlines sources, at least two cabin crew swapped shifts so they would not be on MH17, specifically because they were worried about the flightpath. The Mail on Sunday has been told worried pilots consulted air traffic controllers in Malaysia and also made an informal approach to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). But still Malaysia Airlines did not divert the route, unlike other carriers.

British Airways as well as all US airlines, Lufthansa, Air France and Qantas, were already avoiding the war zone in Ukraine, adding an extra 20 minutes’ flight time, and there is growing pressure on Malaysia Airlines to explain why it did not follow suit.

Asiana Airlines, another company avoiding the war zone, said: ‘Although the detour adds to flight time and cost, we have been making the detour for safety.’ Last night, civil aviation analyst Chris Yates backed up the pilots’ concerns, saying: ‘My view is that wherever there is a conflict zone, then above that conflict zone the airspace should be closed.

‘Any time that you have civil strife or military strife ongoing in a military area, my opinion is that airspace should be closed until the situation clears up. Why take the risk? The bottom line is: Passengers on flights need to stay safe.’

Tragic: Angeline Premila died doing the job she loved aboard flight MH17

Ismail Nasarudd, the president of the National Union of Flight Attendants in Malaysia said yesterday that serious questions needed to be asked about how the passenger jet was allowed to fly over the war zone.

Mr Nasarudd, who said that he was not aware of any union members who had raised concerns about flying in the airspace, added: ‘We are very angry and upset that this has happened. The International Civil Aviation Organisation had given the green light for aircraft to fly over that airspace above 32,000ft and other airlines were doing so.

THE STEWARDESS WHO TWICE CHEATED DEATH PLANES An air stewardess has cheated death twice – by switching shifts on both doomed Malaysia Airlines flights. Tan Bee Jeok, 43, was supposed to be flying on MH17, which was shot down over Ukraine, and the missing airliner MH370. Tragically, her husband, Sanjid Singh, who is also an air steward, died on the flight downed by a missile on Thursday. Mr Singh, 41, had swapped flights with a colleague to fly on the Kuala Lumpur-bound Boeing 777. Mr and Mrs Singh - she avoided flight MH17 It is not known why Mrs Singh changed her shift on the flight. Remarkably, she had also swapped her shift on flight MH370, which carried 239 passengers and has been missing since March. The couple lived in Kuala Lumpur with their seven-year-old son. Mr Singh’s father Jijar, 71, told a Malaysian newspaper after hearing of his son’s death: ‘We are in such a state. My whole body is shivering. ‘We are heartbroken because he was our only son. What to do? What has happened, has happened.’ He added: ‘He always called us before he left for his trip. He told us he swapped with a colleague for the return Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur flight. ‘Sanjid’s wife was meant to fly on MH370 but swapped with a colleague at the last minute.’ Mr Singh’s father said his son had been expected to visit them on his return from Amsterdam, adding: ‘His mother had prepared all his favourite dishes.’ Mr Singh’s daughter, who lives in Italy, informed him about the crash on Friday. A Malaysia Airlines spokesman said last night: ‘Crew members on all airlines regularly swap shifts for various reasons. ‘We cannot discuss individual colleagues’ work patterns.’ Advertisement

‘We need to know whether the International Civil Aviation Organisation was aware of a risk of flying in that airspace and, if it was, why it made the decision to allow flights. We also want to know whether Malaysia Airlines was specifically targeted.’

The British Civil Aviation Authority had warned operators to take caution in the Donetsk area but Eurocontrol, the EU authority, and the International Civil Aviation Organisation had not imposed a ban on flying through the zone.

A Malaysia Airlines spokesman said last night: ‘No crew members have discussed any concerns about flying over Ukraine.

‘Malaysia Airlines, along with many other airlines, has been flying in this airspace, which was declared safe by ICAO and IATA.