GEORGE TOWN (March 11): While focus on the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370 has been on the passenger manifest, what MH370 was carrying in its cargo is just as important.

A freight industry expert said though the passenger manifest required scrutiny, the cargo manifest list also begs equal attention.

The expert, a former International Air Transport Association (IATA) official, said all airplanes have a cargo manifest document that indicates the type of cargo that is carried.

"Through the cargo manifest document, the investigators can further scrutinise the load by looking at the airway bill which shows the actual commodity, the shipper and if any dangerous goods were on board.

"The airway bill also indicates hidden dangerous item such as spare parts that contain lubricant or fuel which can be flammable or explosive. These things can also contribute damage to the aircraft.

"Therefore, ruling out static influence like the cargo load is as important as ruling out the passengers' flight manifest," he said.