A DUTCH man has escaped death twice after being booked to fly on both doomed Malaysia Airlines flights before changing his tickets at the last minute.

Maarten De Jonge, a 29-year-old cyclist from Oldenzaal in Holland rides with Malaysia’s Terengganu Cycling Team.

He was scheduled to take missing flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur in March to compete in Taiwan for a race, but switched to another flight to avoid having a stopover.

In another strange twist of fate, he was also booked to fly on flight MH17 that was believed to have been shot from the sky by Russian rebels killing all 298 on-board, but changed his ticket for a later flight on the weekend to save some money.

media_camera Maarten De Jonge said he would still fly with Malaysia Airlines again. Picture: @maartenmaleis

De Jonge told Netherlands public broadcaster RTV Oost: “I could have taken that one just as easily.

“It’s inconceivable. I am very sorry for the passengers and their families, yet I am very pleased I’m unharmed.”

A statement translated from Dutch on his website said that he was “overwhelmed” with responses to his story but for now would like the focus to shift back to the victims and their families.

“How happy I am for myself and my family that I was on this flight and did not take it the last moment; my story is ultimately nothing compared to the misery in which so many people are dead,” he said.

“Attention should be paid to the victims and survivors. Wishing everyone affected by this disaster a lot of strength.”

De Jonge still plans to fly back to Malaysia today on a Malaysia Airlines flight via Frankfurt and told RTV Oost that he was not worried about it, “I have been lucky twice.”

“You should try not to worry too much because then you won’t get anywhere,” he said.

Originally published as Flyer who cheated death twice