The Dutch government must play a greater role in informing airlines if a country’s air space is too dangerous to fly in, the Dutch pilots’ union said on Thursday.

According to chairman Steven Verhagen, the government cannot leave it to airlines to assess the risk of flying over areas of conflict.

The comment comes a month after Malaysia Airlines MH17 was brought down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. It would appear the plane was hit by a rocket fired from an area where the Ukraine army is fighting pro-Russian rebels.

Formal role

Although the Dutch counter-terrorism organisation NTCV already informs airlines about concrete risks and threats, the pilots think its role should be ‘bigger and more formal’.

‘The government must make a risk analysis of every country flown over by Dutch planes and share that with airlines such as KLM and Transavia,’ Verhagen told broadcaster Nos.

Security services

He also said the Netherlands should exchange such information with security services in other countries.

He was speaking ahead of a meeting in Montreal on Thursday of the International Civil Aviation Organisation during which the exchange of information between security services will be discussed.

The Netherlands is sending representatives from the ministries of justice, infrastructure and foreign affairs to the meeting.