IATA calls for review into Belarus plane incident

The head of global airline industry body IATA said a review was needed of what happened when a Ryanair  flight was forced to land in Belarus to ensure that such an incident is never repeated.

"I think it is important that we have a detailed and fundamental review of what happened so that everybody can be clear about the steps that were taken and, more importantly, that the international community comes together and ensures that action like this never happens again," IATA director general Willie Walsh told an online briefing on Wednesday.

Airlines re-routed flights to avoid Belarus's airspace this week after a Ryanair jetliner was forced on Sunday to divert to Minsk, where a dissident journalist on board was arrested.