South Korea orders airlines out of missile zone

Seoul, Jul 7: South Korea's aviation authority ordered South Korean airliners today to avoid a flight route through an area where North Korea tested missiles two days ago, officials said.

Korean Air and Asiana Airlines flights departing from North America for South Korea must now take a route further south of the Kamchatka peninsula of Russia, Civil Aviation Safety Authority officials said.

The aviation authority wants planes to avoid flying over a large corridor northeast of the Korean peninsula and extending several hundred kilometres (miles) over Russia, one said.

The seven missiles fired by North Korea on Wednesday flew in parts of this corridor close to the peninsula.

The order does not apply to flights departing from South Korea and bound for North America since they already take a southern route to take advantage of the easterly jet stream, another official said.

The order did not go out to foreign carriers but they may follow similar advisories issued by their aviation authorities working in cooperation with the South Korean agency, he said.

REUTERS

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