Malaysia Air criticized for ‘Bucket List’ campaign

Malaysia Airlines is being criticized for offering a flight sale campaign named “My Ultimate Bucket List” after it suffered a pair of catastrophic incidents this year, Reuters reports. 

The campaign asked passengers in Malaysia and Australia to write essays on “what and where would you like to tick off on your bucket list, and explain why” in exchange for a chance to win prizes such as electronic devices and free plane tickets, according to the report.  

The report said the campaign was renamed after Malaysia Airlines received criticism from Internet users for being insensitive. 

{mosads}”The competition had been earlier approved as it was themed around a common phrase that is used in both countries,” the airline said in a statement that was provided to the newswire. 

The airline, mostly owned by the Malaysian government, suffered twin tragedies within four months of each other earlier this year. One of its planes went missing in March and another was shot down over Ukraine in July. 

The trouble for the company first began when its Flight 370 disappeared in March while it was carrying 239 passengers. The disappearance of the Boeing 777 airplane, which has still not been found, roiled the international aviation industry and caused turmoil for the airline. 

The turbulence surrounding the Malaysian airline only grew worse when Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine in July, resulting in the deaths of another 298 passengers. 

The crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 has been attributed to Russian separatists, who are involved in a dispute over the area of Ukraine near Crimea. 

U.S. officials have alleged that the plane was shot down using technology supplied by the Russian government.