ROME-The Association of European Airlines (AEA) has called for an urgent international debate about airspace security guidance for airlines.

 The downing of Malaysian Airlines’ flight MH17, which AEA strongly condemned, and recent flight cancellations to Tel Aviv have shown that a meeting is required about how risk assessments are made by national authorities.

 “The downing of Malaysian Airlines’ flight MH17, which was flying in approved international airspace, triggers questions about how risk assessments are made”, said the Association of European Airlines CEO Athar Husain Khan. “Together with the International Air Transport Association and our member airlines we ask for an international debate about airspace security guidance, preferably organized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).”

 Safety and security have always been the airlines’ top priority. European airlines are fully committed to making flying even safer. In preparing their flight plans, airlines should be able to rely on independent risk assessments rather than on information provided by governments and air traffic control authorities alone.