International Aviation Bodies Should Be More Sensitive With Flight Path

KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 (Bernama) -- International aviation bodies which are responsible for approving the flight path of commercial aircraft should be more sensitive when it involve the airspace above areas of conflict. Astronautic Technology Sdn Bhd (ATSB) chief executive officer Dr Ahmad Sabirin Arshad said this was crucial so that the path in areas of conflict could be changed immediately. As such, he said, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) should have a standard operating procedure (SOP) on the way the flight path could be changed immediately to avoid a similar incident like the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH17. He said what happened to MH17 should be a lesson for the two bodies to act more swiftly. "If an aircraft passes an area of conflict, the fight path should be replaced immediately for the safety of passengers onboard," he said when appearing as a special guest on Bernama TV's 'Bernama Today' programme at Wisma Bernama Saturday. The MAS flight, MH17, was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was believed to have been shot down in Ukraine. It was carrying 298 people - 283 passengers and 15 crew. It left Amsterdam at 12.15 pm (Netherlands time) Thursday and was to have arrived in Kuala Lumpur at 6.10 am (Malaysian time) Friday. Prior to this, ICAO and IATA have clarified that MH17 was not operating in restricted airspace. -- BERNAMA