As a near-weekly flier, Qyira Yusri is attuned to the rising menace of in-flight theft, mainly by Chinese gangs targeting flights across Asia to pilfer cash, credit cards and luxury handbags stored in overhead compartments.
She checks everything twice before boarding, puts aside her passport and phone and only places carry-on luggage overhead in her eye line.
For the 30-year-old, whose next flight to Bangkok from Malaysia will be her 55th in a work-packed year, a healthy dose of paranoia prevents her from falling victim to crime at 30,000 feet.
“I’m trying to avoid being pickpocketed but also ensuring I’m not being careless at the same time,” the Kuala Lumpur-based consultant told This Week in Asia.
Aviation experts warn that Asia’s busy routes are increasingly the target of sophisticated theft syndicates, who operate in groups and seek high-value items often carried by business travellers.
