MH17 'never flew into risky airspace'

MH17 never flew into risky airspace over Ukraine, Malaysia Airlines says, adding it's now avoiding the troubled country.

The Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur flight was struck with a suspected surface-to-air missile, killing 298 passengers and crew on board.

Of those killed, 28 have been confirmed as Australians, and most passengers - 189 - were from the Netherlands.

"In April, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) identified an area over the Crimean peninsula as risky," Malaysia Airlines said in a statement.

"At no point did MH17 fly into, or request to fly into, this area. At all times, MH17 was in airspace approved by the ICAO."

But following the disaster the airline will no longer fly near Ukraine.

"Malaysia Airlines now avoids Ukrainian airspace entirely, flying further south over Turkey," it said.