Solar storms diverts flights, could disrupt sensitive GPS

Solar flares emitted by the sun on the morning of Jan. 23 concerned airlines enough to reroute its Polar route flights but may improve aurora borealis activity in Alaska.

Delta airlines announced that it had rerouted flights from China to the U.S. that traverse the North Pole making  direct fuel saving flights over the arctic. While there is no danger to passengers the airline reported that it changed routes primarily due to the possibility of radio interference from the solar flares.

Airlines transiting the North Pole routes rely heavily on radio frequencies to communicate to air traffic control centers and to their bases of operations.