Malaysia Airlines Told Families About Flight's Fate Before Texting

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A Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion parks on the tarmac at the Royal Australian Air Force Base Pearce north of Perth, Monday, March 24, 2014, following its return from a search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 over the Indian Ocean.

Image: Jason Reed/Associated Press

By Samantha Murphy Kelly2014-03-24 17:31:39 UTC

When Malaysian officials announced flight 370 tragically "ended" in the Indian Ocean, Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Rajak said during a press conference on Monday that the airline delivered the news to family members of those on board via text message.

It didn't take long for an outcry to begin on social media sites, with users calling the delivery method "insensitive".

SEE ALSO: Live Updates: The Disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

But Malaysia Airlines has since issued a statement saying most family members of passengers were informed either face to face or over the phone ahead of time:

"As the Prime Minister said, respect for the families is essential at this difficult time. And it is in that spirit that we informed the majority of the families in advance of the Prime Minister’s statement in person and by telephone. SMSs were used only as an additional means of communicating with the families."

Malaysia Airlines has not yet responded to a request for comment.

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Topics: Flight 370, Malaysia airlines, U.S., US & World, World