IATA director general and CEO, Tony Tyler, has spoken out strongly on the loss of Malaysia Airlines’ flight MH17, which experts believe was gunned down by a surface-to-air missile as it flew over Ukrainian airspace (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 18, 2014).
In a statement, Tyler said: “I share the shock and sadness expressed by so many around the world on the terrible loss of MH17. At this time, it is important we are very clear: safety is the top priority. No airline will risk the safety of their passengers, crew and aircraft for the sake of fuel savings. Airlines depend on governments and air traffic control authorities to advise which air space is available for flight, and they plan within those limits.
“It is very similar to driving a car. If the road is open, you assume that it is safe. If it’s closed you find an alternate route.
“Civil aircraft are not military targets. Governments agreed that in the Chicago Convention. And what happened with MH17 is a tragedy for 298 souls that should not have happened in any airspace.”
The route in question had been deemed safe by ICAO and was used by major international carriers including Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines that have since switched to alternative flight paths, as aviation bodies step in to ban operations in Ukrainian airspace (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 18, 2014).
International governments are putting pressure on pro-Russian separatists to clear a safe corridor to let investigative teams through to the crash site and Malaysia, whose team arrived in Ukrainian capital Kiev on Saturday, has demanded unrestricted access. Pro-Russian rebels have already surrendered MH17’s black boxes to Russian authorities as reports of interference with the crash site make their way through global headlines.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is scheduled to convene this morning to discuss on a resolution that would condemn the downing of MH17, and Emirates president Tim Clark has called for a meeting of international airlines to agree on a response to the tragedy.
