US not seeking ICAO changes after MH17, MH370, says official

The United States is not currently seeking changes to the UN aviation body's guidelines on global aviation following the downing of a Malaysian airline over Ukraine last week and the disappearance of another airliner in March, a senior State Department official said on Thursday.

The Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) plans a meeting of top officials from the airline industry and air traffic controllers in Montreal next week, sources said, to discuss the respective roles of each in airspace over conflict zones.

"At this time, the United States is not seeking any changes to ICAO standards or recommended practices as a result of the crash of MH17 and the disappearance of Malaysia Air 370," the official told Reuters. "We are aware, however, that there are calls for new global air tracking regulations in response to MH370, and we have heard of a call by Emirates Airlines for IATA to review security protocols for flights above conflict zones."

"We plan to participate in any ICAO-led reviews related to these events to determine whether changes are called for."