Japanese airlines have changed flight plans to avoid crossing the path taken by the missiles North Korea tested last week, officials said Wednesday.
The nation's largest carriers, Japan Airlines Corp. and All Nippon Airways Co., said one overseas route between Japan and the northeast part of the Korean Peninsula has been shifted north since the July 5 missile tests.
About 26 flights from Japan take the route over Niigata and Khabarovsk in Russia's Far East to reach cities in Europe. But now they will use an alternate path about 900 km farther north that will take them over Wakkanai, Hokkaido, the carriers said.
The changes, which will be in place indefinitely, were taken voluntarily, said transport ministry aviation official Yasuhisa Wada.