Experienced Pilots
Since Zaharie has been flying with the company since 1981, he had an astounding 18,365 hours of flying under his belt. He was extremely qualified as a pilot and was also an instructor and examiner. His co-pilot, First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, was also an experienced pilot who has been with the company since 2007. He began as a cadet and worked his way up, gaining an excellent 2,763 hours of flight. As a co-pilot, he was training to become a pilot. This flight was the last part of his training before the promotion.