A temporary flight restriction has been issued by the FAA
for a major North Pacific air corridor, covering air routes
R-222, R-580 and A-590. The restriction covers the dates
September 10-15. The cloture of these major routes is highly
unusual, is said to be due to a Department of Defense
Strategic Defense Initiative, but the nature of that
initiative has not been revealed.
The FAA has said that aircraft can fly north of the affected
routes into Russian airspace, but Russian security
regulations limit the number of available altitudes, raising
a safety question during high-traffic periods on these major
routes.
Extra time and fuel will be needed to fly the alternate
routes. An airline pilot comments, "I have never seen a
major international route closed like this."
Inquiries to the FAA and the Defense Department have gone
unacknowledged.
In the past routes in this area have been closed at times
due to plumes from volcanos on the Kamchatka penninsula, but
there are no such volcanic plumes at this time. There is
also no known exercise, satellite or missile re-entry to
explain the cloture. Normally, a major military exercise,
even if its nature was classified, would be announced well
in advance.
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