World aviation chiefs will meet on Tuesday to discuss issues surrounding the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine.
The meeting, in Montreal, comes after Dubai-based carrier Emirates announced it would stop flying over Iraq amid fears of missile threats to passenger planes from terrorists.
At the talks in Canada, the whole question of airline routing over war-torn areas will be discussed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (Iata).
Also attending will be representatives of the Airports Council International and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation.
"This is a political animal but the fact of the matter is MH17 changed everything," Emirates chief executive Sir Tim Clark told London's The Times.
"We cannot continue to say 'Well, it's a political thing'. We have to do something. We have to take the bull by the horns."
Last week some US and European airlines, including easyJet, imposed a temporary suspension of flights to Israel after a rocket landed close to Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.
After the Malaysia Airlines tragedy, Iata chief executive Tony Tyler said it was vital that governments took the lead in reviewing how airspace risk assessments were made.
At the weekend, Malaysia Airlines commercial director Hugh Dunleavy said: "For too long, airlines have been shouldering the responsibility for making decisions about what constitutes a safe flight path, over areas in political turmoil around the world.
"We are not intelligence agencies but airlines, charged with carrying passengers in comfort between destinations.
"Against the backdrop of increasingly volatile political situations around the world, such as Ukraine and Gaza, we as an industry must act now to create a system of approval that guarantees safe air passage for all commercial airlines," Mr Dunleavy said.
"As things stand, airlines are ultimately responsible for making a decision on whether or not to take a particular flight path.
"When planning routes for our aircraft, Malaysia Airlines uses the best possible intelligence from the relevant third-party authorities to determine their safety and suitability. We consult with relevant governments, Iata, ICAO and (air navigation service provider) Eurocontrol," he said.
"This tragedy has taught us that, despite following the guidelines and advice set out by the governing bodies, the skies above certain territories are simply not safe."
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