In connection with the notification of North Korea’s satellite launch plan, the Philippine government has issued a notice to alert aircraft passing over its vicinity. The point and time at which the propellant to be launched by North Korea is expected to fall have been specified. Reporter Ham Ji-ha reports.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) issued a NOTAM on the 22nd to warn aircraft passing through routes near the country.
According to an air notification posted by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Philippine authorities have set a flight caution zone over the eastern Philippines, where North Korean projectiles are expected to fall.
Specifically, it is about 700 km east of Manila in the Philippines and about 2,000 km south of Jeju Island in Korea.
The time was guided from 0:00 on August 24, 2023 to 23:59 on August 31, 2023.
The purpose of the notice was presented as ‘immediate attention (N)’, ‘pre-flight information posting (B)’, and ‘need for flight operation (O)’.
In particular, the coordinates of five flight zones to be particularly cautious were indicated along with the information that ‘special circumstances related to the launch of satellites’ would occur.
NOTAM is a notification system that provides information necessary for flight to pilots, etc., and is in charge of each country’s aviation authorities.
It includes information such as airport runway closures and weather conditions that may affect aircraft operation, and, like this time, information related to military activities or spacecraft launches is also announced.
Therefore, the Civil Aviation Administration of the Philippines issued a notice to warn North Korea about the possible launch time of satellites and the route in which propellants are expected to fall.
According to the navigation alert provided by the Japan Coast Guard posted by the Korea Maritime Survey Agency on the 22nd, the fall point of North Korea’s first stage rocket was estimated to be the West Sea of the Korean Peninsula, far from Gunsan, North Jeolla Province. It was expected to fall in the distant sea west of Jeju Island and the sea east of Luzon in the Philippines.
Accordingly, it is interpreted that the Philippine authorities are trying to convey to each aviation official the danger of the second-stage rocket falling off the sea near their country.
Previously, Japanese media reported on the 22nd local time that the Japan Coast Guard had been notified of a plan to launch satellites between the 24th and 31st from North Korea.
Source: VOA News Hamjiha.