SIA proactively avoids flying through certain parts of the world

I refer to the letter “Wake-up call for airlines to never compromise on safety” (July 23).

Singapore Airlines is deeply saddened by what happened to Flight MH17. Our thoughts are with the passengers and crew and their families. We share the outrage of the public and the entire aviation industry.

Decisions on the use of airspace are made based on numerous factors such as weather, safety and security conditions, advisories from international and regional bodies, and any restrictions the national authorities responsible for the safety of the airspace may impose.

In the case of Ukraine, the particular airspace that MH17 used was cleared by the national authority managing it. Due to Singapore’s geographical position, we were also a user of this airspace for some flights to and from Europe.

It should be noted that other parts of Ukrainian airspace were closed to commercial flights; we and other airlines had been avoiding these areas for many months. Following the terrible events of July 17, we rerouted all flights immediately to avoid Ukrainian airspace altogether.

We proactively avoid flying through several other parts of the world, even though they are available for use. This has long been our practice and is the result of our continual assessment of advisories from national authorities and aviation bodies.

Mr Tony Tyler, International Air Transport Association’s director-general, summed it up particularly well: “Airlines depend on governments and air traffic control authorities to advise which airspace is available for flight, and they plan within those limits. It’s very similar to driving a car. If the road is open, you assume that it’s safe. If it’s closed, you find an alternative route.”

That said, what happened to MH17 should clearly never have occurred. Together with the industry, we are actively reviewing our processes and practices to ensure the continued safe operation of our flights.