Malaysia Airlines plane rerouted from Ukraine in wake of MH17 disaster - to Syria
MH17 disaster has shown it is largely up to carriers whether to route flights over conflict areas like Ukraine and Syria; some now eye change
A no-fly area declared in eastern Ukraine after the downing of flight MH17 is a rare restriction shared with rogue states like North Korea, prompting some airlines to question whether rules for flights over war zones need tightening.
The debate came as Malaysia Airlines flew into a fresh round of criticism for diverting one of its flights away from Ukraine - and rerouting it over war-torn Syria.
While skies over trouble spots such as Libya and Syria are avoided by some airlines on an ad hoc basis, official airspace closures are generally declared by the countries affected and limited to events such as the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks or volcanic eruptions that can create dangerous ash clouds.
Yesterday the US suspended all of its commercial airline flights to Tel Aviv for 24 hours after news reports of rocket debris near Ben Gurion International Airport.
A Delta 747 heading to Tel Aviv from New York was over the Mediterranean when it turned around and flew to Paris instead.
Malaysia Airlines confirmed that on Sunday flight MH4, from London to Kuala Lumpur, was rerouted over Syria following the closure of the flight's usual route over Ukraine. MH17 was apparently brought down by a missile fired from Ukraine's east, causing the loss of almost 300 lives three days earlier.
The crisis-hit airline said the Syrian flight path was among routes approved by the UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation. "As per the notice to airmen issued by the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority, the Syrian airspace was not subject to restrictions. At all times, MH4 was in airspace approved by ICAO," it said.