Flights OK despite satellite launch

MANILA, Philippines — No flights will be canceled in the country when North Korea launches a satellite, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said yesterday.

North Korea has notified Japan of the launch of its satellite any time between today and June 11.

The CAAP has issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM), informing them that flights will continue as scheduled, CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said in a Viber message to journalists yesterday.

Apolonio said the flight path of the Philippines’ commercial airlines are far from the satellite’s track.

The NOTAM was relayed by the Philippines’ flight information regions (FIR), informing aircraft flying over the Philippine airspace about the satellite launch.

“The area is situated outside the Manila FIR. It is located in the Pacific Ocean,” he said.

Reports said that North Korea would also launch satellites toward the Yellow Sea and East China Sea as well as east of Luzon.

Meanwhile, flights of local carriers Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Asia Philippines will not be affected by North Korea’s activity.

“Philippine Airlines ensures that its flights are not affected by the airspace restriction. We continue to monitor the situation. If flight rerouting will be necessary, we will implement flight rerouting adjustments,” PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said.

If the launch toward Luzon will occur, flight rerouting is possible, said Edgardo Diaz, CAAP deputy director general for operations. – Rudy Santos