British Airways flights will continue to fly over Iraq despite fears in wake of MH17
FLIGHTS operated by British Airways will continue to fly over war-torn Iraq, the airline's chief has declared.
The announcement comes despite other European airlines diverting planes following the downing of Malaysia Airlines in conflict-stricken eastern Ukraine.
Willie Walsh, chief executive of BA's owners International Airlines Group, said he considered the airspace above Iraq "safe".
He told the Financial Times: "We fly over Iraq because we consider it safe - if we thought Iraq was unsafe we would not fly over Iraq."
He added that he understood customers may be confused about the difference in airlines' decisions to fly or not, but said = companies should be able to conduct their own risk assessments.
British Airways decided not to fly over Ukraine prior to the MH17 incident.
We fly over Iraq because we consider it safe - if we thought Iraq was unsafe we would not fly over Iraq
Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was allegedly shot down on July 17 by pro-Russian rebels as it flew over Grabovo, Donetsk, on its journey from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.
The plane, which was reportedly hit by a surface-to-air missile, was carrying 298 passengers, including ten Britons.
European and Dubai-based airlines are already diverting flights over Iraqi airspace as a security precaution in the wake of the incident.
Earlier this week, an Emirates Airline spokesman in Dubai said it would divert planes that normally fly through Iraqi airspace.
Virgin Atlantic, KLM and Air France are among those who plan to do the same.
Iraq has slid back into conflict after militants captured large areas in the north and west of the country, including its second-largest city, Mosul.
Member of Isis (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) continue to control these areas.
At a meeting of world aviation chiefs on the issue in Montreal, Canada, on Tuesday, Jeff Poole, director general of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (Canso) said: "The downing of Flight MH17 raises vital questions about the safety of aircraft over conflict zones.
"The incident shows that there are gaps in the overall management of airspace."