Airlines modify flight routes amid North Korea rocket launch plans

April 11, 2012

Approximately twenty flight routes for various airlines are to be modified to avoid the path of a rocket scheduled to be launched from North Korea later this month, the of the Philippines said yesterday.

Amongst the affected companies are Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines,, , and , all of which are to reroute their flight paths between April 12 and April 16, in which time the  says launch is scheduled, with the specific date being subject to weather conditions.

The North Korean government has stated the launch is to celebrate the 100th birthday of.

A statement from Japan Airlines clarifies four of their flight paths are to be modified in direct response to these rocket launch plans, including three from the Japanese capital Tokyo to the Filipino capital Manila, Singapore, and Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, causing anticipated flight timings to rise by between five and twenty minutes. No modifications to domestic flights are planned for the airline.

All Nippon Airways has stated that five of its flight routes are to vary at this time, with flights between similar locations affected. The flights will be otherwise unaffected, according to the company's statement.