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Nearly 200 cabin crew resigned from Malaysia Airlines following its double tragedy this year, causing crew shortages among the staff still working for the carrier. 

Malaysia Airlines confirmed there was a 'spike' in crew members quitting their jobs following the loss of MH370 on March 8 and the shooting down of flight MH17 over Ukraine on July 17, which resulted in the loss of 537 lives.

Among those who left their jobs, a number cited fears for their safety as the reason for their resignation. 

Malaysia Airlines crew members during a hand-over of bodies of flight MH17, which was shot down over Ukraine on July 17

The flag carrier had a good safety record prior to the two accidents, but has been in the spotlight in the past six months for decisions made in the wake of the tragedies.

The airline said 186 crew had left in the first seven months of this year, with many blaming family pressure prompted by the incidents.

Malaysia Airlines confirmed in a statement: 'Following the MH17 incident, there was a spike in crew resignations but the number has now decreased to acceptable and routinely expected levels.'

The airline confirmed that 186 crew members resigned following the double tragedy this year

'Many cited 'family pressure' as the reason for their resignation due to the MH17 and MH370 tragedies.'

Abdul Malek Ariff, secretary-general of the employees union, said some crew members 'are now afraid to fly'.

But the airline said it was providing emotional and psychological support to workers. 

Speaking to the Edge Financial daily Monday, Mr Ariff also said that crew shortages were forcing staff to work up to 12 hours a day.

The union represents about 8,000 of Malaysia Airlines' 19,500-strong workforce. 

Members of a group of international experts inspect wreckage at the site where the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed, near the village of Hrabove in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya prays at the mosque at Malaysia Airlines headquarters in Kuala Lumpur

The two aviation tragedies killed 537 people in total, of which 27 were crew members.

Flight MH370 disappeared in March as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. No trace has been found despite a a large-scale search in the southern Indian Ocean.

The airline was widely criticised for its handling of the crisis.

On July 17, flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over war-torn eastern Ukraine, with another 298 people killed.

A moment of silence is respected by Malaysia Airlines pilots during the handing over of bodies from flight MH17 at Kuala Lumpur airport on Sunday

The ailing airline is currently being taken private by sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional as part of an expected major overhaul to revamp the carrier.

Khazanah is expected this week to announce a series of restructuring measures including job cuts and axing of unprofitable international routes.

The carrier was already struggling before the two disasters, but has been plunged further into crisis in light of the recent tragedies.