"A broadcast of the kind could cause some kind of situation and the evacuation might as well have been conducted by the crew right away," he said.
Yu flew for the Taiwanese air force for 20 years before retiring six years ago to work for the airline, officials said.
Meanwhile, in Taipei, the Civil Aeronautics Administration ordered yesterday that all Taiwanese carrier-owned Boeing 737-800 aircraft must undergo a special inspection to ensure their safety.
Administration officials said it would take about two days to complete the inspections.
The special inspection will cover more than 20 items, including the fuel system, pumps and airworthiness directives, the officials said.
There are 14 Boeing 737-800s in service in Taiwan, including 11 owned by China Airlines and two owned by its subsidiary Mandarin Airlines, a domestic carrier.
The other Boeing 737-800 is Air Force One, which is undergoing regular maintenance.
An Air Force Command spokesman said the aircraft will be subjected to a thorough inspection at the request of the administration.
Initial reports from Japanese ground personnel at Naha Airport showed that a fuel leak from the plane's right engine could have caused the fire and led to a series of explosions.
"I just wanted to make sure that all the passengers had left the airplane safely," Yu said at a press conference held at the Taoyuan International Airport last night, adding that he did so by making sure the last flight attendant on the plane left the airplane.Additional reporting by Shelley Shan
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China Airlines warns of losses after disaster
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