Cathay Pacific says its crew saw North Korea missile

The crew of a Cathay Pacific plane flying from San Francisco to Hong Kong, while over Japan reported a suspected sighting of last week's North Korean missile test, BBC and CNN reported.

The Hong Kong-based airline confirmed to the BBC that the crew witnessed "what is suspected to be the re-entry" of the missile into the earth's atmosphere. The report added that as things stand, no flight routes were being modified.

North Korea tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile on 29 November and it said the missile could reach anywhere in the US.The test-launch has been raising tension further between South Korea and the US, who on Monday began their largest ever joint air exercise, branded by the North as an "all-out provocation".

The missile, which was described by Pyongyang as its "most powerful" missile, ended up in Japanese waters but had flown higher than any other the country had previously tested.

According to the South China Morning Post, Cathay's general manager of operations Mark Hoey told staff in a message that the crew of CX893 reported on Monday "Be advised, we witnessed the DPRK missile blow up and fall apart near our current location".

The launch reportedly was also witnessed by two South Korean aircraft en route to Seoul from the US.

Civil airline sources have time and again debated the issue whether North Korea's missile would pose a risk to commercial planes. The spectre of a missile hitting a packed airline and endangering the lives onboard had sent nightmarish jitters during such discussions. The question is more relevant, because both of Pyongyang's most recent launches had been made without any warning. Normally, when there is a test missile launch, the respective countries send airlines advance information, and airlines would adjust routes or schedules accordingly.

Though the probability of such a disastrous incident is thought to be very low, experts do admit that the risk is not entirely ruled out. The primary risk is of US and allies' retaliation - thought to be high. Such a course, however remote, will pave the way for a war. When North Korean missiles come without warning or known flight path, commercial planes do face the risk.

But on the other hand, North Korea like other countries, has access to international civil aviation data, so their scientists can study the airspace they will launch their missile into, and determine which area is the least populated. After all, the country would not like to be seen guilty of killing people and will choose such a safe trajectory.

However, if by accident the missile veers off course or breaks up in flight and created a debris field, they are in for real trouble. So, when it comes to sending missiles to Japan, North Korea select the thinnest part of Japan in an airline pathway where minimal air traffic is expected. But the part alarming for most is that the type of missile used by North Korea is Hwasong 12 whose success rate is not seen as very high. If there is a break up and debris field, that could endanger aircraft at high altitude.

But there is yet another risk which airlines are wary of: events like the shooting down MH17 in Ukrainian airspace as a result of misidentifying it as military. Thus if tensions around the Korean peninsula remain hot, airlines would rather take a route of caution than invite human tragedies.