A man stands in front of a display showing plane locations around Malaysia at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang July 18, 2014. — Reuters picSINGAPORE, July 18 ― Malaysia Airlines System Bhd, whose plane carrying 298 passengers was shot down over eastern Ukraine, took a route that Qantas Airways Ltd and several other carriers avoided.
Qantas hasn’t been using that route for a few months, said Andrew McGinnes, a spokesman for the Australian carrier, while Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said it hasn’t been flying over the area for “quite some time.” Singapore Airlines Ltd said it’s “no longer using Ukrainian airspace.”
The attack, which killed everyone on board the flight to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, has led the Malaysian carrier to take alternative airpaths for its European flights. The accident comes four months after its Flight 370 bound for Beijing disappeared without a trace.
“All airlines will be avoiding it like a plague,” Mohshin Aziz, an analyst at Malayan Banking Bhd in Kuala Lumpur, said about the Ukrainian flight path. “Even today, Syria is in the middle of a war and commercial aircraft pass it every day ― there hasn’t been an incident.”
Ukraine’s state security service said it intercepted phone conversations among militants discussing the missile strike, which knocked Flight MH17 from the sky about 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the Russian border. US officials said the weapon probably was a Russian-made model used widely in Eastern Europe.
‘Declared safe’
“The usual flight route was earlier declared safe by the International Civil Aviation Organisation,” Malaysian Air said in an e-mailed statement today. “International Air Transportation Association has stated that the airspace the aircraft was traversing was not subject to restrictions.”
The Boeing Co 777 crashed late yesterday in the main battleground of Ukraine’s civil war, threatening to escalate tensions in Europe’s worst geopolitical crisis since the end of the Cold War. A European air-traffic control agency routed planes away from the region, which sits astride some of the busiest routes to and from Asia.
Among other Asia-Pacific carriers, Korean Air Lines Co and Asiana Airlines Inc. avoided the area since March 3, the two South Korean companies said in e-mailed statements. Air New Zealand Ltd, PT Garuda Indonesia, All Nippon Airways Co and Japan Airlines Co said they aren’t flying over Ukraine. Philippine Airlines Inc said it avoids “that war zone.”
No risk
The Boeing 777 Malaysian Airlines aircraft with the registration number 9M-MRD lands early morning in Vienna in this July 14, 2005 file photo. — Reuters pic
A general view shows the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
An Emergencies Ministry member works at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
Emergencies Ministry members work at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
The site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash is seen in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
The site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash is seen in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
An armed pro-Russian separatist stands at a site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
Emergencies Ministry members walk at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
A man walks past the Malaysia Airlines check-in area at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
A man stands in front of a display showing plane locations around Malaysia at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
The site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash is seen near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
A part of the wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane is seen after it crashed near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
Family members inquire about the flight name list following the tragic news of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH1 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, July 18, 2014. — Picture by Choo Choi May
Family members wait for news outside Anjung Tinjau following the tragic news of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH1 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, July 18, 2014. — Picture by Choo Choi May
The site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash is seen near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
People take photos of a screen showing arrival details of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 (centre) at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
A “no entry” sign stands at the entrance to a Malaysia Airlines check-in counter at Kuala Lumpur International Airport July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
The wreckage of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane (back) is seen, with sunflowers in the foreground, near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
Smoke rises from the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
Armed pro-Russian separatists stand at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
The upper floor of Schiphol Airport is closed for media and reserved for family and relatives of Malaysia Airlines flight MH-17, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
A screen showing arrival details of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 (4th from top) is seen at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
A woman (front), who said she believed her sister was on Malaysia Airlines flight MH-17, cries as she waits for more information about the crashed plane, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
People, who said they believed they had relatives on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, wait for more information about the crashed plane at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
Armed pro-Russian separatists stand at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
Family members of MH17 looking through the name list at the reception centre at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. — Photo by Choo Choo May
Smoke rises above the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17 is seen at the G3 gate of Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, before it took off, heading to Kuala Lumpur, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
A woman holds a sign that reads, ‘Putin is a terrorist’, as people bring flowers and candles to the Dutch embassy to commemorate the victims of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash, in Kiev, July 17, 2014. — Reuters pic
One of the family members collapse after looking at the manifest at Anjung Tinjau, Kuala Lumpur International Airport. — Photo by Choo Choo May
People light candles at the Malaysian embassy for victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17, which crashed in eastern Ukraine, in Kiev July 17, 2014. ― Reuters pic
People leave candles and flowers at the Dutch embassy for victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17, which crashed in eastern Ukraine, in Kiev July 17, 2014. ― Reuters pic
Relatives of passengers onboard the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang July 18, 2014. ― Reuters pic
Family members of passengers on board MH17 are seen here on the airport buggy at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), July 18, 2014. ― Picture by Choo Choy May
Datin Siti Dina is seen crying after learning that her daughter, Sherliza Zaini, was on the plane with her husband and their three children. ― Picture by Choo Choy May
Families of passengers on board flight MH17 gather at a hotel in Putrajaya July 18, 2014.
A member of the Ukrainian Emergency Ministry walks past a white flag marking the location of a body near the settlement of Grabovo, in the Donetsk region July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
Debris is seen at the site of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo, in the Donetsk region July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
Malaysian Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai speaks during a news conference at a hotel in Sepang July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
Luggage and belongings are seen near the site of the MH17 crash, near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
A member of the Ukrainian Emergency Ministry searches for bodies close to the site of the MH17 crash near the settlement of Grabovo, in the Donetsk region July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
Debris from the MH17 plane lies on the ground near the village of Rozsypne in the Donetsk region July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
Flowers lie on debris from the MH17 plane near the village of Rozsypne, in the Donetsk region July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
A boy places flowers outside the Dutch embassy in Moscow July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
Flowers are placed outside the departure hall, in the wake of the downed Flight MH17, at Schiphol Airport July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
The Malaysian national flag flies at half-staff at the Malaysian embassy in The Hague July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
A bouquet of flowers is placed on a Malaysia Airlines counter at Schiphol Airport July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
A woman lights candles at a memorial for victims of the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in Kuala Lumpur July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
Members of the United Nations Security Council observe a moment of silence for the victims of Flight MH17 at the United Nations headquarters in New York July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
A woman prays during a special prayer held for the victims of downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in Kuala Lumpur July 18, 2014. — Reuters pic
“Our B777-300ER is much longer range, need not risk flying there for our London flight,” Philippine Air President Ramon Ang said in a mobile-phone text message.
Singapore Air didn’t say if it was flying the route until yesterday’s crash. Its latest comment that it’s no longer traversing the airspace was a revision of an earlier statement that said its flights aren’t flying over that area.
Malaysian Air’s Flight 17 carried 283 passengers and 15 crew members, with 154 Dutch travellers making up the biggest national group, according to a tally by Malaysia Airlines.
Other airlines that once flew through selected airspace corridors to avoid Ukraine’s civil war are adjusting routes or staying away from the country entirely. Deutsche Lufthansa AG and KLM said they will avoid flying over eastern Ukraine, while Delta Air Lines Inc. is staying away from the whole country.
US carriers have voluntarily agreed not operate in the airspace near the Russian-Ukraine border, the Federal Aviation Administration said in an e-mail. Italy’s aviation agency ENAC said its airlines should avoid flying over the area as well.
Popular route
The area was a popular route for flights going between Europe and Asian cities such as Singapore, Mikael Robertsson, co-founder of Stockholm-based Flightradar24 AB, said in an interview. Air traffic control and airlines should have been more cautious of the area, said Brent Spencer of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
“The fact that the airspace is not restricted doesn’t mean you don’t need to give extra consideration whether you want to fly to it or not,” said Spencer, who is director of Embry- Riddle’s air-traffic control program in Prescott, Arizona. “You might want to think twice about flying through an airspace where there’s somebody shooting missiles at anybody.” ― Bloomberg
MH17 took route avoided by Qantas, Cathay Pacific
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