Malaysia Airlines MH17: Dutch, Australian experts turned back again

Dutch and Australian experts abandoned plans to access the crash site of the Malaysian airliner in Ukraine on Tuesday due to heavy fighting, the Netherlands said in a statement.

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"There is a lot of fighting along the road to the disaster site," the Dutch Justice Ministry said.

It was the third consecutive day experts were unable to do their work due to fighting between the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian rebels.

Meeting in Montreal

Meanwhile, top officials from four international organizations are meeting today in Montreal to discuss risks to civilian aviation in conflict zones.

The meeting brings together representatives of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and three groups that represent the world's air carriers, airports and air navigation service providers.

The get-together at ICAO headquarters comes after the UN body that governs civil aviation consulted with various international and regional organizations.

ICAO said in a release Tuesday's meeting will discuss "appropriate actions to be pursued in order to more effectively mitigate potential risks to civil aviation arising from conflict zones."

In recent days, tensions in the Middle East have prompted a number of airlines to temporarily halt flights to Tel Aviv. Earlier this month a rocket struck less than two kilometres from the international airport.