A Delta Air Lines Airbus A350-900 Flight 39 from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to China’s Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) underwent tense moments in flight on October 29. While cruising over the North Pacific Ocean and moving into Japanese-controlled airspace, the crew was informed by Fukuoka air traffic control of a possible ballistic missile incoming launched from North Korea.
According to AirFrames, the crew sent a message at 03:43 UTC stating, “object potentially ballistic missile launched from North Korea…. thanks for filing us south.”
In aviation, “filing south” means the dispatcher or air traffic control routed the flight path further south to safely bypass North Korean airspace. In this case, dispatchers shifted the remaining flight path closer to the Japanese mainland and down the East China Sea. This directed the commercial airliner away from the projected missile trajectory over the Sea of Japan (also known as the East Sea).
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10 North Korean Missiles Traveled Over 150 Miles Before Landing In The Sea Of Japan
The flag of North Korea in PyongyangCredit: Shutterstock
Reuters and South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that North Korea fired a volley of about 10 short-range ballistic missiles off the Wonsan area on the country’s eastern coast at approximately 03:30 UTC on October 29. USA Today reported the missiles traveled approximately 155 miles east into the Sea of Japan before landing safely outside of Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The immediate risk to regional air traffic corridors prompted local control towers to issue urgent tracking broadcasts to international flights. While Delta Flight 39 was able to safely fly south, other international routes have faced complete airspace shutoffs this year due to airlines rerouting flights after a missile attack in restricted global airspace.
Missile Launch Could Have Been Part Of A High-Profile Weapons Demonstration
North Korea’s ballistic missileCredit: Stefan Krasowski, Wikimedia Commons
On the exact day of the October 29 launch, North Korean state media agency KCNA reported that its leader, Kim Jong Un, attended a massive flight demonstration at the “Unmanned Aeronautical Technology Development-2026” exhibition.
According to reports from the Associated Press and South Korea’s Korea Herald, while Delta Flight 39 was being routed south to avoid the missile trajectory, North Korea was conducting high-profile weapons demonstrations.
Delta Flight 39 Landed Safely In Shanghai, China
Delta Air Lines plane over Shanghai Pudong International Airport, ChinaCredit: Yongnian Gui | Dreamstime.com
Fortunately, the Delta Air Lines flight landed safely. According to FlightAware, Delta Flight 39 had departed LAX at 11:51 a.m. PT on October 28 and landed in Shanghai at 5:08 p.m. CST on October 29. There is a 15-hour time difference between the two cities.
On the online forum Reddit, members of the r/flightradar24 community tracked the detour.
One user commented, “Well right now it appears they are continuing so it possibly might not be near their destination airport it was probably just a warning but still scary nevertheless.”
Another post noted the terrifying stakes, sharing, “I’m picturing the larger scale results that would happen if the North Korean ballistic missile landed near Shanghai.”
TheTravel has contacted Delta Air Lines for comment.
Delta’s ‘Rocket-Launcher’ Threat In July 2026
Delta Airlines planes at LaGuardia International Airport in New YorkCredit: Ritu Manoj Jethani / Shutterstock
Earlier this year, on July 22, 2026, a Delta Air Lines flight 2604 received an alarming security alert just minutes before touchdown at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Air traffic controllers warned of a possible “rocket launcher” attack.
LaGuardia Tower issued a MANPAD alert to DL 2604, which is a “man-portable air defense system,” a shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile.
An air traffic controller said, “MANPAD alert issued at LaGuardia Airport at 0027. Use extreme caution.”
However, the anonymous threat was quickly deemed to be a hoax, as reported by the New York Post The warning had come from an anonymous phone call. Port Authority police immediately determined that the threat was not credible.
“No need to respond, Delta 2604,” the controller said. “Port Authority police reported it was a non-credible threat.”
The authorities did not disclose who made the tip or why but said all threats are always taken seriously until the investigation proves otherwise.