An Aberdeenshire woman who was moved off the doomed Malaysian Airlines flight with her husband and baby shortly before take off said she felt like she had been given a “second chance.”
Izzy and Barry Sim and their baby, who live in Methlick, had been due to board Flight MH17 to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Aiport but switched to a later KLM flight on hearing there was not enough space.
The family are back at Schiphol Airport where they hope to board the next available flight to Kuala Lumpur.
She said: “I am shaking. I don’t know what to do.
“I feel physically sick. Coming through the airport this morning I was just crying.
“I just feel like I have been given a second chance.
“So hopefully we will get there safely and I will see my family again.”
Last night Mr Sim from Aberdeenshire, described the moment they learned the flight had crashed in Ukraine, killing all 295 passengers and crew.
He said: “You get this sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. We started getting butterflies.
“Your heartbeat starts going.”
Mrs Sim added: “There must have been someone watching over us and saying ‘you must not get on that flight’.
“We are very loyal to Malaysia Airlines and we always want to fly with Malaysia Airlines.
“But do you know what, at this moment we are so glad to be on that KLM flight rather than that Malaysia Airlines flight.”
Speaking at Schipol Aiport, Mr Sim said he was “philosophical” about continuing with their travel plans.
“In my mind lightning never strikes twice in the same place so I am still philosophical that you get on the flight and you go about your life,” he said.
“I know my wife doesn’t feel like that. Probably the last thing she wants to do now is fly, especially to Kuala Lumpur.”
Nine British passengers are amongst the 298 after their plane was shot down on the Russia-Ukraine border.