Air France expands North Korea no-go zone after missile test

PARIS – Air France has expanded the area around North Korea ruled off-limits for its planes after the country’s recent missile test.

The airline says the missile apparently fell about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the trajectory taken by Air France Flight 293, travelling July 28 from Tokyo to Paris.

In a statement Thursday to The Associated Press, Air France said such a distance means the flight wasn’t under any danger. But it said that “as a precautionary measure, the company has decided to expand the non-flyover area around North Korea.”

The airline said it routinely adjusts flight zones based on evolving threats, and already had a ban on flights over North Korea before the recent test. It didn’t specify the scope of the new no-fly area.