Airlines That Saw Kim's Missile Say They'll Stick to Routes
Airlines That Saw Kim's Missile Say They'll Stick to Routes
(Bloomberg) -- The Asian airlines whose flight crews said they spotted North Korea’s missile shooting through the sky last week don’t plan on altering their route plans.
Crew on flights operated by Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. and Korean Air Lines Co. say they saw what appeared to be the test missile on re-entry as they flew toward Asia from the U.S. west coast.
The crew of Cathay’s Flight 893 from San Francisco reported the sighting and advised Japanese air traffic control, the carrier said in an emailed statement Tuesday. Korean Air crew on flights that departed from Los Angeles and San Francisco saw a “flash” in the air, according to a company spokesman.
“At the moment, no one is changing any routes or operating parameters,” Cathay said in the statement. “Operation remained normal and was not affected. We have been in contact with relevant authorities and industry bodies as well as with other carriers.”
Korean Air also said no route adjustments are being made -- in contrast to some European airlines. In August, Germany’s Deutsche Lufthansa AG said that Pyongyang’s missile tests had caused it to change flight routes to Japan, according to the Daily Mail. Air France-KLM also expanded its no-fly zone over North Korea, the report said.
Last Wednesday’s test showed North Korea can strike the entire U.S. with a nuclear weapon and marked the completion of the “state nuclear force,” the state-run Korean Central News Agency said. Kim Jong Un’s claims on the country’s nuclear capabilities are yet to be independently verified.
To contact the reporter on this story: Kyunghee Park in Singapore at kpark3@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anand Krishnamoorthy at anandk@bloomberg.net, Emma O'Brien, Robin Ganguly
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