Malaysia Airlines unable to confirm report of women's cockpit visit

Malaysia Airlines said late Tuesday they can not confirm a report that the co-pilot of its missing flight had invited two women into the cockpit two years ago. [Special coverage]

Jonti Roos, a young woman currently living in Melbourne, told Australian television program "A Current Affair" that she spent an entire flight, including take-off and landing, in the cockpit with a friend.

The co-pilots, including Fariq Ab Hamid, the first officer of the missing MH370 flight, talked to them and smoked throughout the flight, she said, adding that the pilots were not even facing the front of the plane for much of the trip. She also showed pictures of the alleged incident.

In a statement published on its website, the airline said it was shocked by the allegations and took it very seriously.

"We have not been able to confirm the validity of the pictures and videos of the alleged incident," it said, while urging the media and general public to respect the privacy of the families of its colleagues and passengers.

"The welfare of both the crew and passenger's families remain our focus," the statement added. .

Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 suddenly vanished from radar screens early Saturday morning while carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Among the passengers, 154 are Chinese.