Europe aviation body calls for 'urgent' security debate

Europe’s aviation body calls for an “urgent” debate on airspace security guidelines after the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine and the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv.

Airlines need independent risk assessments of their flight plans, rather than relying on governments and air traffic control alone to decide on danger zones, the Association of European Airlines (AEA) says.

“The downing of Malaysian Airlines’ flight MH17, which was flying in approved international airspace, triggers questions about how risk assessments are made,” AEA chief Athar Husain Khan says in a statement.

“Together with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and our member airlines, we ask for an international debate about airspace security guidance,” he says.

— AFP