THAI revises flights on European routes following MH17 crash in Ukrain

BANGKOK, July 18 (TNA) - Like all other global airlines, Thai Airways International (THAI), the national flag carrier, has decided to avoid flying over the Ukrainian territory after a Malaysia Airlines plane, Flight MH17, carrying 298 passengers and crew members from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down on Thursday, killing all on board. The national airline announced the decision to revise its flying service routes to Europe for the safety reason on Friday morning, hours after Thursday’s tragic incident, in which the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was reportedly shot down by a surface-to-air missile and crashed near rebel-held Shaktarsk Town in eastern Ukraine. THAI officials told reporters that the national airline will try to reach destinations in Europe on time following the flight revision, saying, however, that it also depends on weather conditions and air traffic. International media reports quoted the Ukrainian government as claiming that the ill-fated Boeing-777 jet was shot down in a "terrorist act", while comments attributed to a pro-Russia rebel chief acknowledged his men may have downed the plane by mistakenly believing it was a Ukrainian army transport plane. Senior officials of Thai state enterprises under the Ministry of Transport, meanwhile, attended a meeting, chaired by Permanent Secretary for Transport Soithip Trisuddhi, who ordered the officials, especially those of THAI and the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Co., Ltd., to check on details whether THAI was set to fly over the Ukrainian territory, where the MH17 was shot down, and to then inform the public of its plan to revise its European routes to avoid the Ukrainian territory in order to create confidence to THAI would-be passengers. (TNA)