International task force to investigate airspace security
A high-level international task force will look at airspace security issues raised by the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine earlier this month.
ICAO, IATA and other major global aviation organisations were in Montreal this week to discuss the ramifications of MH17 and how airspace safety information can be better collected and disseminated.
In a joint statement task force members condemned the lack of access to the crash site, where bodies still have to be recovered.
“While aviation is the safest form of transport, the MH17 incident has raised troubling concerns with respect to civilian aircraft operating to, from and over conflict zones,” the joint statement said.
IATA CEO Tony Tyler said airlines needed clear guidelines and information on where to operate safely.
“We are asking ICAO to address two critical tasks. The first, and most urgent, is to ensure that governments provide airlines with better information with which to make risk assessments of the various threats they may face.
“The second is equally important but comes with a longer time frame. We will find ways through international law that will oblige governments better to control weapons which have the capability to pose a danger to civil aviation.
“Achieving these will make our safe industry even safer,” said Tyler.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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