Howdy mongolia-ga,
Air Koryo, the state-owned airline of DPRK (Democratic People's Republic
of Korea), has been banned from French airspace since 2001 and this AFP
(Agence Française de Presse) press release, that has been been published
in various forms, outlines the basic reasons.
This USA Today printing of the article brings out some points.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-08-29-french-airline-list_x.htm
"The initiative brings France into line with Britain, Switzerland and
the United States, where authorities have either identified banned
airlines or named countries where civil aviation regulations are deemed
to be inadequate."
So, the first concern is that the civil aviation regulations of the host
country (DPRK) of Air Koryo might not be adequate.
This Bloomberg update of the article touches on another point.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=aLulC6.qxrMs&refer=europe
"'Its [the ban list] publication is a warning to other airlines: if
they're not rigorous enough, they could find themselves on the list
one day or another.'
Inspectors first ask a carrier to fix technical problems that they find,
and can block the aircraft from serving France if the problem persists,
Coffin said. The published list doesn't specify what tests the banned
airlines failed."
The person quoted above is Maxime Coffin, head of security checks at the
French aviation regulator, Delegation Generale de l'Aviation Civile.
As indicated above, Air Koryo might have had ongoing techinical problems,
but it is not like they themselves were going to publicize that, if it
were the case.
This Deutsche Welle article on the topic brings up security as well as
dissemination of information.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1693951,00.html
"On an international level, airlines are currently not obligated to
publicize security problems that have come to light. Thus the French
authorities did not know that in Columbia -- the home of West Caribbean
Airways - had imposed a fine on the airline for severe safety violations."
Security reasons, more than anything else, might be the major concern
these days, as the USA Today printing of the AFP article points out.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-08-29-french-airline-list_x.htm
"Transport Minister Dominique Perben insisted Monday that 'no diplomatic
consideration' had been part of the decision to name only five airlines
on France's list.
'The only criteria for this action is security,' he said while making an
official visit in the south of France."
So, it gets down to standards, security and the "transparency" of the
communications of that information that is at the heart of the ban.
Considering that almost all communications that comes out of North Korea
is that of an "official" nature, it is not as if the public has access to
any of the Air Koryo maintenance records, or failure of same, etc.
Google search on: "Air Koryo" ban France reasons
://www.google.com/search?q=%22Air+Koryo%22+ban+France+reasons
Google search on: "Air Koryo" France 2001
://www.google.com/search?q=%22Air+Koryo%22+France+2001
Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher |
Request for Answer Clarification by
mongolia-ga
on
03 Sep 2005 10:13 PDT
HiYA Denco
I think you probably know that you have not answered my question.
The sources sites you have come up with I am already more or less
aware of. I have also made similar searches and no site as come up
with any real reason as to why France has banned Air Koryo.
Vague references to "security" or Air Koryo not publishing its
internal maintenance findings is NOT a reason to bann an airline.
Mongolia
PS When I used Air Koryo (in 2002) their personnal security search and
baggage search was totally up to normal expectations.
|
Clarification of Answer by
denco-ga
on
03 Sep 2005 13:12 PDT
Howdy mongolia-ga,
There is nothing vague about security when it comes to DPRK, and as safe
you might have felt as a passenger, is is not the passengers that France
is feeling is a security threat, but probably the DPRK that they believe
is the real security threat.
Here is a Federation of American Scientists (FAS) paper on "North Korea:
Economic Sanctions."
http://www.fas.org/man/crs/RL31696.pdf
"In October 2002, in meetings between high-level U.S. and North Korean
government officials, North Korea confirmed suspicions that it had
reactivated its nuclear weapons program.
...
North Korea is designated by the [United States] Secretary of State as
a state sponsor or supporter of international terrorism, pursuant to the
Export Administration Act of 1979 ...
...
Following the November 29, 1987, destruction of Korean Air Lines 007, in
flight, by a bomb reportedly planted by two North Korean agents, Secretary
of State George Shultz placed North Korea on the list of countries
supporting international terrorism."
Here is a Forbes.com article titled "North Korea: Another Outcropping Of
Terrorism" from 2001.
http://www.forbes.com/2001/09/18/0918fulford.html
"Unfortunately for Americans, there is a rogue state that has a long
terrorist track record, connections with Middle Eastern terror groups and
nuclear capabilities: North Korea.
...
North Korea's government has been manufacturing large quantities of heroin,
amphetamines, weapons and counterfeit U.S. dollars to finance its weapons
development programs. It sells them either through criminal gangs in Japan
or via Russia and China to the U.S. and Europe, the Korea experts say."
More can be found on the Council on Foreign Relations page on North Korea.
http://cfrterrorism.org/sponsors/northkorea.html
"North Korea, the world?s only unreconstructed Stalinist country, has not
been conclusively linked to a terrorist attack for about 15 years, but it
still has a prominent place in the U.S.-led war on terrorism because it
sells advanced missile technology to other states that sponsor terrorists."
Here is a Asia Pacific Media Services Limited sidebar titled "THE MACAU
CONNECTION" that speaks to the North Korean and Air Koryo counterfeiting
ties.
http://www.asiapacificms.com/articles/northkorea/
"In 1994, the head of Zokwang and four other North Koreans were arrested in
Macau for depositing millions of dollars worth of counterfeit $100 bills. But
nothing came of the investigation and in 1999, more counterfeit dollars were
discovered in Macau. The North Koreans were also suspected of peddling drugs
and guns through the then Portuguese enclave. Once a week, the North Korean
national carrier Air Koryo flew from Bangkok to Pyongyang with a stopover in
Macau. The flights, now monthly, carried few passengers-but plenty of cargo."
To summarize, in 2001, France banned from their airspace an airline run by
a country that has declared it has nuclear weaponry, and lots of people
have stated that this same country has strong terrorist ties. This is a
strong reason to ban an airline.
Some might think the real question to ask is why it took France so long to
ban Air Koryo from their airspace.
Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
mongolia-ga
on
05 Sep 2005 12:00 PDT
Dear Denco
You say
>There is nothing vague about security when it comes to DPRK, and as
>safe you might have felt as a passenger, it is not the passengers
that >France is feeling is a security threat, but probably the DPRK
that
>they believe is the real security threat.
From the sources you have quoted (either in your original answer or
your clarification) you have not offered a shred of evidence that
France considers the DPRK a treat (presumably to its own national
security) or that this theory has anything to do with France banning
Air Koryo from it airspace.
You say
>To summarize, in 2001, France banned from their airspace an airline
>run by a country that has declared it has nuclear weaponry, and lots
>of people have stated that this same country has strong terrorist
ties. >This is a strong reason to ban an airline.
>Some might think the real question to ask is why it took France so
>long to ban Air Koryo from their airspace.
Regarding your theory of North Korea possessing nuclear weapons again
you offer NO EVIDENCE that this is WHY France has banned Air Koryo.
(oh and BTW US, UK, Russia, China, Israel, India, Pakistan and FRANCE
also possess Nuclear Weapons!!)
You also infer (again without a shred of evidence) that France may
have banned Air Koryo because it has ?strong terrorist ties?
By extension it should also have banned the state airlines of Syria
and Iran (which I am sure both fly to France) as these countries are
also considered to have ?terrorist ties?.
Indeed the only reference that could be implied as to having anything
to do with your suggestions in your clarification is the following
Quote
(http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-08-29-french-airline-list_x.htm)
>Transport Minister Dominique Perben insisted Monday that "no
diplomatic >consideration" had been part of thedecision to name only
five airlines on >France's list.
>"The only criteria for this action is security," he said while making
an >official visit in the south of France.
When he says security, the only reasonable inference that one can draw
is security in terms of safety of the Personnel search procedures and
the overall safety of them airline.
IT HAS CLEARY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DPRK BEEN a SECURITY THREAT TO FRANCE.
With the issue of the ?transparency and Communication? it would
appear that most airlines DO NOT go out of their way to communicate
their safety procedures and safety records to each other. Therefore to
single out Air Koryo in this respect is ridiculous.
Regarding the web resources you quote in the your clarification i.e.
http://www.forbes.com/2001/09/18/0918fulford.html
and
http://cfrterrorism.org/sponsors/northkorea.html
These appear to be simply anti-DPRK diatribes by US BASED PRIVATE organizations
and have absolutely no RELEVENCE to my question.
In your last web reference
http://www.asiapacificms.com/articles/northkorea/
you make the following quote
>"In 1994, the head of Zokwang and four other North Koreans were
>arrested in Macau for depositing millions of dollars worth of
>counterfeit $100 bills. But nothing came of the investigation and in
>1999, more counterfeit dollars were discovered in Macau. The North
>Koreans were also suspected of peddling drugs and guns through the
>then Portuguese enclave. Once a week, the North Korean national
>carrier Air Koryo flew from Bangkok to Pyongyang with a stopover in
>Macau. The flights, now monthly, carried few passengers-but plenty of
>cargo."
Again I can only suggest that it is highly unlikely if this somewhat
obscure incident has anything to do with France banning Air Koryo.
And again you have offered no evidence.
Finally let me quote you another source (which you have not mentioned0
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200508/26/200508262244248409900090309031.html
North's planes banned from French airspace
August 27, 2005 ? North Korea's Air Koryo is included on a blacklist
of airlines banned for safety reasons from French territorial
airspace, Agence France-Presse reported Thursday.
Transport Minister Dominique Perben said France will publish a
blacklist of unsafe airlines on Monday on the Internet site of the
nation's civil aviation body.
The news report quoted civil aviation officials as saying Air Koryo,
Air St. Thomas of the United States and Air Mozambique are to be
included on the list.
France initially intended to make public airlines considered to be
safe under the nation's aviation regulations, but the policy was
changed to publishing a blacklist after a recent crash in Venezuela.
Air Koryo's international flights connect Pyongyang, the communist
country's capital, with Beijing, Shenyang, Macao, Moscow and Berlin.
Please note the first sentence:
North Korea's Air Koryo is included on a blacklist of airlines banned
for safety reasons from French territorial airspace, Agence
France-Presse reported Thursday.
It does say ?Safety reasons?.
Oh and BTW since Air Koryo also serves Ruissa,China and Germany
I will be waiting to see when these three countries ban the Airline.
So in conclusion I am still waiting for an answer to my question!
Mongolia.
|
Clarification of Answer by
denco-ga
on
05 Sep 2005 19:54 PDT
Howdy mongolia-ga,
Your original question was "Can anyone enlighten me as to why it would be
in anyway dangerous to use this airline?" and the articles I have cited
address that question. I repost the following citation to support that
the question asked has been addressed.
Here is a Federation of American Scientists (FAS) paper on "North Korea:
Economic Sanctions."
http://www.fas.org/man/crs/RL31696.pdf
"In October 2002, in meetings between high-level U.S. and North Korean
government officials, North Korea confirmed suspicions that it had
reactivated its nuclear weapons program.
...
North Korea is designated by the [United States] Secretary of State as
a state sponsor or supporter of international terrorism, pursuant to the
Export Administration Act of 1979 ..."
If you wish, you can always email the Google Answers editors and ask them
to remove this answer: answers-editors@google.com
Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher
|
