Originally Posted by
Sjoerd
Of course they are apples and oranges. In my opinion, however, both Eastern Ukraine and North Korea pose a potential treat to civil aviation. The FAA seems
to agree with me.
The FAA is also part of a government that has no diplomatic relations with and sanctioned imposed upon North Korea. Americans are not allowed to engage in any activity with North Korea unless given permission by the federal government, and this includes flying. Beyond the Pyongyang area (which I imagine means all of North Korea?) the advisory seems to state merely US carriers should "exercise caution" due to possible unannounced ballistic missile tests, but nothing seems to indicate there is a wider ban to commercial operations in the area.
The difference between a rebel in the Ukraine aiming a guided rocket at a specific aircraft and a ballistic missile randomly striking an aircraft that happened to be in the area is also quite different IMHO. The former is an imminent danger to all aircraft operations, the latter is far less of an issue. What is the chance of two relatively small objects, both traveling at high speed, colliding in a space as vast as the atmosphere? It's like trying to find a person in the ocean: chances almost zero.
I will agree, unannounced launches by an unsavoury regime are not ideal for safe commercial aircraft operations, but I hardly think this warrants huge concern. Parliament certainly should not be getting involved. What has a spoed debat ever done except waste time, really?