TEMPO.CO, Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia Airlines has confirmed it will be avoiding its usual route over eastern Ukraine after one of its aircrafts was shot down over the region, with a host of other commercial airlines also altering their flight paths.
In a statement, Malaysia Airlines said it had believed the flight path over the increasingly volatile region was safe.
"With immediate effect, all European flights operated by Malaysia Airlines will be taking alternative routes avoiding the usual route," a statement from the airline read.
"The usual flight route was earlier declared safe by the International Civil Aviation Organization. International Air Transport Association has stated that the airspace the aircraft was traversing was not subject to restrictions.
"Our focus now is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilise its full support to provide all possible care to the next of kin. Malaysia Airlines is deploying its 'Go Team' to Amsterdam with a group of care givers and volunteers to assist the family members of the passengers."
Eurocontrol, which coordinates air traffic agencies across Europe, said the aircraft was flying at a height of 10,000 metres when it disappeared from the radar.
"This route had been closed by the Ukrainian authorities from ground to flight level 320 but was open at the level at which the aircraft was flying," it said.
"Since the crash, the Ukrainian authorities have informed Eurocontrol of the closure of routes from the ground to unlimited in eastern Ukraine. All flight plans that are filed using these routes are now being rejected by Eurocontrol. The routes will remain closed until further notice."
Australian airline Qantas confirmed its aircraft do not fly over Ukraine. A spokeswoman for the airline would not say why, but said Qantas flights between Dubai and London tracked approximately 400 nautical miles south of the region.
"We review our flight paths regularly, including in response to world events, and make any precautionary adjustments we consider prudent," she said. "No Qantas aircrafts were in the region at the time of the incident, nor do any of our flights travel across that region."
A number of other airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Airlines, Alitalia, Lufthansa, Air France, Aeroflot and Transaero have shifted flight paths as a result of the crash, Reuters reports.
The US airline Delta issued a statement saying "an abundance of caution" meant the airline did not fly through Ukrainian airspace.
"Delta does not operate any service that flies over the region of Ukraine that was the subject of a Federal Aviation Administration security advisory," it said. "The thoughts and prayers of the entire Delta family are with the passengers and crew, and their loved ones, involved in the Malaysia Airlines incident today."
REUTERS | INDAH P
