Iata denies airliners risk lives to save fuel

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MH17 The International Aviation Transport Association (Iata) has dismissed speculations that airliners would deliberately risk passengers' lives in order to save fuel by using the route over eastern Ukraine's war zone.

Iata director-general Tony Tyler said airliners rely on governments and air traffic control authorities of the countries they fly over to decide if the airspace can be used.

"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," he said in a statement today.

Tyler echoed Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai who yesterday dismissed that Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 used the route over eastern Ukraine rather than an alternative, in order to save fuel.

Liow said that MAS had used the route for more than 10 years and was not advised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the guiding authority for airliners, not to do so.

"No airline would risk the safety of their passengers, crew and aircraft for the sake of fuel savings," said Tyler.

Flight MH17 was believed to be shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17 while enroute from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

ICAO: Not our job to advise

Several other airliners were also using the same route as Flight MH17, although some airliners such as Qantas have taken its own initiative to avoid the airspace.

Most airlines have since avoided the airspace following the downing of Flight MH17.

Meanwhile, ICAO spokesperson Anthony Philbin reportedly corrected Liow's remarks yesterday that the international body had declared the route over Ukraine to be safe.

He dismissed that his organisation was responsible for warning about potential dangers.

"ICAO does not declare airspace safe or unsafe or undertake any other direct operational responsibilities with respect to civilian air services," he was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Icao also appeared to have indicated that it was Ukraine's responsibility to advise other countries about safety issues over its airspace.

"It is always the responsibility of our sovereign member states to advise other states of potential safety hazards," Philbin was quoted saying.



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