Friday, July 18, 2014

The Price of Safety

Air Malaysia flight MH-17 is yet another tragedy of  "collateral damage" due to war.

Air Traffic Control has now imposed a no fly-zone over eastern Ukraine as questions grew over why passenger jets were still flying over the war zone three months after pilots were warned to avoid it.

In April the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a "special notice" regarding Ukrainian airspace advising airlines to "exercise extreme caution due to the continuing potential for instability."

Norman Shanks, who is also a professor of aviation security at Coventry University, said: "Malaysia Airlines, like a number of other carriers, have been continuing to use it because it is a shorter route, which means less fuel and therefore less money."

 It is understood passenger jets continue to cross volatile regions because operators believe they fly at a high enough altitude to not be at risk of attack.

So a calculated risk is taken to cut costs.

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