TORONTO – According to archived plane tracking information, a Lufthansa flight linked to Air Canada through Star Alliance flew south of Donetsk about 25 minutes ahead of Malaysia Flight MH17, believed to have been blown out of the sky by a missile.
When first contacted by Global News, Air Canada spokesperson Isabelle Arthur said, “This flight is not an Air Canada-operated flight so it would be inappropriate for us to comment on another airline’s operations.” She further directed Global News to Lufthansa “who is responsible for its own risk assessment.”
READ MORE: Flight MH17 – Why airlines didn’t avoid risky Ukraine airspace
But if you book a flight on Air Canada’s website from Toronto to Delhi, one of the options is for a flight that leaves at 10 p.m. EDT, with a stop and transfer in Munich to a Lufthansa flight.
When notified of this, and asked how Air Canada ensures its passengers’ safety when another airline operates a flight booked through their site, Arthur told Global News in a subsequent email that, “Air Canada’s Corporate Security and Risk management department constantly monitors the level of security in every country and city we serve, including en route and local airspace, to ensure our crews and passengers aren’t put at risk.
“We work with government agencies in Canada, the U.S. and around the world, other airlines, and other sources at the destination city such as local airport authorities and law enforcement to gain a solid understanding of potential issues.”
Using data from Planefinder.net, it appears the flight has since changed its route and no longer flies over Ukraine.
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