UN: Aviation agency not eyeing 'no-fly' zone around North Korea, say sources

The UN aviation agency is not considering the creation of a “no-fly” zone around North Korea because the direction of Pyongyang’s tests are not predictable, two sources familiar with the organization’s thinking said Thursday. The news comes after IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac was quoted in the SCMP Thursday saying that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) “could declare a no-fly zone” in the region. Montreal-based ICAO cannot impose rules, such as ordering countries to close their domestic airspace, but regulators from its 191-member states almost always adopt and enforce the standards it sets for international aviation. ICAO has condemned North Korea for launching missiles without notice, a move that could represent a threat to commercial flights. Airlines are already largely avoiding airspace controlled by North Korea in the Pyongyang flight information region, one of the sources said. An IATA spokeswoman said by email on Thursday that de Juniac’s remarks were in reference to the airline trade group’s support of a recent decision by ICAO to “strongly condemn North Korea’s continued launching of ballistic missiles over and near international air routes.”<br/>