PAL's US, Japan flights will be rerouted to avoid North Korean rocket launch

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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

Starting Thursday, nine international Philippine Airlines (PAL) flights will use alternative flight paths after the government established no-fly zones over certain areas in Luzon to avoid a missile expected to be launched by North Korea from April 12 to 16.

Rerouted flights include the following:

PR105 San Francisco via Guam to Manila;

PR103 Los Angeles via Guam-Manila;

PR 107 Vancouver via Los Angeles to Manila;

PR 431 Narita, Japan to Manila;

PR407 Kansai to Manila:

PR437 Nagoya, Japan to Manila:

PR467 Inheon South Korea to Manila,

PR434 Cebu to Narita,

PR111 Guam to Manila;

and PR 426 Manila to Fukuoka.

Previously, these flights were supposed to cross areas east of Luzon, the Philippines’ largest island, that have been recently declared by the government as no-fly zones.

"Safety remains the cornerstone of PAL operations" PAL spokesperson Villaluna said. “We assure our passengers that their safety is our top priority.”

The planned missile launch also prompted the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to temporarily close airways A582 and A597 for overfly aircraft and inbound flights to Manila from April 12 to April 16.

In its Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), the CAAP said that affected aircraft are advised to use MEVIN B462 airway as their alternate route or point of entry during the specified closure period.

In March, officials of PAL, CAAP, and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) met to discuss alternative flight paths that normally traverse the northeast portion of Northern Luzon. Flight diversions will be enforced by April 12.

In April 4, during the 20th ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, President Benigno S. Aquino III called for concerted international action to persuade planned missile launch the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to abandon its plan to launch a long range ballistic missile between April 12 and 16 saying that DPRK’s planned missile launch violates UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874, and presents risks to all concerned. (Eric B. Apolonio, InterAksyon.com)

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