Malaysia Airlines shot down  Global airlines decide to reroute Europe-bound flights

▲ Lufthansa German Airlines. (Photo / From Lufthansa’s official Facebook page, photo by Michael Penner)

Travel Center / Comprehensive report

The news that Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down by a missile on July 17 over the border between Ukraine and Russia, killing all 298 people on board, shocked the world. Not only did Taiwan’s two major airlines, EVA Air and China Airlines, immediately issue statements about rerouting flights and clarifications, but airlines from Germany, France, the United States, and others also promptly announced adjustments to their flight paths — even if it means longer flight times, they will now fly over Turkish airspace instead.

According toCNNreports, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has currently notified U.S. airlines that all flights are prohibited from flying over eastern Ukraine, including areas such as Dnipro and Simferopol, until further notice. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has also urged European airlines to avoid the region.

Below are some of the global airlines’ contingency measures for rerouting flights:

Lufthansa German Airlines:For its four main regular routes between Europe and Asia, flights will no longer fly over eastern Ukraine and will instead take significantly longer detours to avoid the area. Other flights not passing through the airspace of the region will remain unchanged.

Turkish Airlines:Will not fly over Ukrainian airspace

Air France:Except for flights to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, all other flights will no longer fly over Ukrainian airspace.

Emirates Airlines:Has immediately suspended all flights to Kyiv until further notice.

Singapore Airlines:All of its flights have stopped flying over Ukrainian airspace.

Taiwan’s EVA Air had already issued a statement on July 18 stating that all future Europe-bound flights would be rerouted, flying over Turkish airspace instead, with flight times extended by about 20 minutes. China Airlines stated that its current Europe-bound flights do not pass through Ukrainian airspace, so no adjustments will be made.

%济NN announces the crash site of the downed Malaysia Airlines flight, with multiple global airlines deciding to avoid this key route to Europe. (Photo / Screenshot fromCNN)