Top airline chiefs meet to discuss risk of planes over warzones after MH17

The U.N. civil aviation agency will hold a broad international meeting to discuss airline safety in the industry’s most coordinated response to the downing of a Malaysian airliner. Top officials representing airliners, air traffic control and airports from across the world will meet today in Montreal to discuss how to avoid another incident such as the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. The issues under debate could have far-reaching consequences for air passengers everywhere. The conference, hosted by the U.N.’s International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), will examine how to more effectively mitigate risks to passenger planes arising from conflict zones.

The idea is for the partners to discuss solutions.

Aviation industry source close to ICAO

Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was shot down July 17 over rebel-controlled eastern Ukraine, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew on board. Industry figures have since urged ICAO to take on a bigger role and issue risk advisories. The route and airspace used by MH17 were not closed, although several airlines such as Qantas, British Airways and Cathay Pacific had been avoiding the area for some time before the incident.

World aviation meeting