Flight MH17 Crash: Impact On Flyers

Airlines, security experts and aviation insurers are responding to two terrorist incidents: one that brought down a Malaysia Airlines plane in Ukraine and an attack in Kabul that shut down the Afghan capital's airport. ET tracks how the business of flying people is yet again adjusting to threats from missiles and machine guns.

Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM, Singapore Airlines, Delta, Emirates and others are avoiding Ukranian airspace now. Some Asian airlines like Asiana, Korean Air, China Airlines and Qantas had already rerouted their flights, from the time the Ukraine conflict started. Flights over Ukraine had come down to 100 a day from around 300 a day. Post-tragedy, the airspace will be all but empty.

Will longer routes increase ticket prices? Experts say airlines have cost management systems that can at least partly accommodate the impact of flight time increase of 15 minutes or so. So, final impact may be low. Travel agents say quick response from authorities and avoidance of Ukraine airspace have reassured travellers. No major cancellations have happened.

The eastern part of Ukraine where the Malaysian plane was shot down didn't figure in any official danger zone notifications, known as notices to airmen. Some experts are saying this was an error. Security experts are now talking of airspaces over Iraq and Syria - both conflict zones-as potential hazards. Some are pointing to the airspace many flights from India travel through-over Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan, Jordan and Israel -and are advocating a relook at security protocols as a matter of abundant caution.

Insurance experts are saying premiums may go up for carriers when they come up for renewals, especially if the reinsurance market is deeply affected by the Malaysian airline tragedy. Premiums can go up for Indian carriers as well. The impact on passenger fares, if any, will happen over medium term.