MH17: Repercussions and changes

With the MH17 disaster turning into something that it shouldn’t be, lets take a step away and look at some of the repercussions for people intending to fly on Malaysia Airlines.

For those looking at MH17 in the future, the flight number will be retired on Friday, and replace with MH19 as the Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur service.  The new flight pair will operate as:

MH16 DEPART KUL 23:55 ARRIVE AMS 0645+1
MH19 DEPART AMS 12:00 ARRIVE KUL 0610+1

Booked Equipment: Boeing 777-200 
Operates Daily

Data: Airlineroute

Additionally, the KLM code share on this flight – KL4103 – will be retired and renumbered as KL4123. If you have outstanding reservations on these services, it could be worth checking for changes.

For those who are uncomfortable to fly on Malaysia Airlines, the airline is offering rebooking and refunds on all tickets (including tickets marked non-refundable). Tickets that will be open for changes from 18 July 2014 until 24 July 2014, for travel between 18 July 2014 until 31 Dec 2014, and covers revenue bookings as well as mileage redemption bookings for Enrich Members. You’ll need to contact a Malaysia Airlines ticketing office, or contact one of their call centres.

The impact of MH17 will be long-lasting, with Malaysia Airlines loosing two wide-bodied jets will all souls aboard within a period of 5 months.Whilst the airline scrambles to resume a sense of normality, you have to begin to question the long-term viability of Malaysia Airlines… and if it can recover from these devastating incidents.

Meanwhile, airlines are avoiding flying through Ukraine, and taking diversions around the area, whilst those who fly to Kiev are keeping their services under review.  Even the Head of IATA – Tony Tyler – calls the incident “an attack against the air transport system, which is an instrument of peace”

Still, for now – airlines operates as normal as it can be, as does Malaysia Airlines who thoughts are with the 298 souls who lost their lives over the skies of Ukraine five days ago.

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