Emirates head Tim Clark presses for change to prevent another MH17 tragedy Tim Clark: The aviation industry could have done better. The head of the world's largest international airline has again called for better intelligence sharing to avoid another disaster like the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. Emirates Airline chief Sir Tim Clark, one the most respected voices in the industry, said the shooting down of MH17 was a "game changer" and more information must be given to help select safe flight paths. What I'm trying to crack is that ability for the airline community to take this information, irrespective of source, how secret it may be, and not question where it came from. But rather say, 'this is likely to be the case, please help us so we can make that decision'," Clark said. Avoidable: The wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, believed to have been shot down in July. In an interview with German aviation journalist Andreas Spaeth, the full transcript of which had not been previously published, Clark said the aviation industry could have done better in "bringing together the information that was allowed to float around us" about the route over war-torn eastern Ukraine. Clark also re-emphasied calls for the air regulators of different countries to be more open about their knowledge of a particular airspace. He said when Emirates suspended flights to Iraq following the shooting down of the jet in July, it was because of his judgment of the "balance of risk" rather than any concrete information. Clark suggested that the MH17 disaster, which claimed the lives of 298 people, could have been avoided if intelligence information about the weaponry on the ground in eastern Ukraine had been shared. When MH17 was shot down it was flying at a height reported to be safe. Clark said few, if any, Emirates flights were passing over eastern Ukraine at the time the jet was downed but he had no idea of the weaponry in use there. And had I known that, I would have most definitely said that I wasn't happy about that. And we know that some did know and I'm not blaming them, it is very difficult. The sensitivities of passing on information supply by the intelligence apparatuses in various countries is, by nature, secret," he said. The industry veteran also said the shooting down of MH17 was no accident and that it was "taken down in the full knowledge of what it was." A taskforce established by the United Nation's International Civil Aviation Organisation to explore threats to civil aviation, has reported that the existing framework is "fit for purpose" and that individual states should continue to be responsible for the safety of operations in their airspace. ICAO will hold also a high-level safety conference inFebruary involving all 192 member states and the body has approved a conflict-zone work program for 2015. Clark, who is credited with transforming Dubai into a hub for international air travel, said he believed Malaysia Airlines could survive as a carrier but it would need to persuade the public that the dual tragedies of MH17 and MH370 were beyond its control. He said no other carrier had faced such a challenge, and Malaysia Airlines would need to revisit its business model and consider rebranding. In the end we will move on, the airline has to continue to trade. For it to disappear because it had these two frightful incidents, I think all of us in the industry would say this shouldn't be allowed to happen," Clark said. We need to find a way to help these guys sort out their problems. With that kind of brand damage, that occurred to them, it's extraordinarily difficult. In the end, I'm sure they are going through a major rethink, soul searching of what they have to do, they have to keep the airline going, it's so important for what they are. They find a way to do it and people will return to it.