Report: North Korea’s Unannounced Missile Tests ‘Pose Risk’ to Passenger Jets

Passenger jets flying over North Korean territory are currently “at risk” of becoming a casualty of a potentially disastrous wayward missile launched by dictator Kim Jong-un during one of his surprise tests, analysts have reportedly warned amid fears of a miscalculation by Pyongyang.

The warning came as North Korea fired its 19th unannounced missile this year alone, which flew over Japan before landing in the ocean last Friday, notes Daily Mail.

“These missile tests do pose a risk for commercial planes,” Ankit Panda, the associate editor of the Diplomat, a magazine covering the Asia Pacific, told BBC. “It’s entirely plausible the missile would go awry and it enters a much more congested airspace.”

The missile could also disintegrate while in the air, leaving behind debris in the path of passenger planes, points out Daily Mail.

“Some airlines have indicated that they are changing their flight paths to avoid flying over North Korea and the area between North Korea and Hokkaido,” reportedly declared Ellis Taylor of aviation analysts FlightGlobal.

While the North Korean dictator welcomed the most recent test as a “shining victory,” the missile launch has fueled concerns for aviation safety, prompting airlines to consider issuing no-fly zones over the territory controlled by the rogue state.

Following a near miss by one of Kim Jong-un’s missiles, Air France has extended a no-fly zone over North Korea.

A North Korean missile reportedly flew within about 60 miles of an Air France plane traveling from Tokyo to Paris last month.

Daily Mail acknowledges that the chance of a wayward North Korean weapon downing a commercial airliner is “incredibly unlikely.”

Nevertheless, it adds that the likelihood of such an incident remains a concern for airlines.

“Indeed, while panic ensued in Japan, one airline passenger traveling to Osaka at the time revealed that he and the rest of the cabin were bluntly informed that a missile was airborne with them,” reports Daily Mail, referring to the most recent missile test.

Kim Jong-un’s nuclear program-linked missile tests have intensified tensions between North Korea and the United States.

U.S. President Donald Trump has stressed that American military action against the Asian dictator is on the table.

Although the international community has imposed restrictions on North Korea that have rendered the country one of the most “heavily sanctioned” on the planet, Kim Jong-un’s regime has continued to develop his nuclear program, ramping up banned missile tests for months.