At least three flights over the Tasman Sea have reportedly been forced to change routes after fears Chinese naval vessels were carrying out live-fire drills in the region.
Australia has warned airlines flying to and from New Zealand to beware of warships conducting live-fire exercises, the country’s foreign minister Penny Wong said.
Wong confirmed media reports that regulator Airservices Australia had warned commercial pilots of a potential hazard in the airspace between New Zealand and Australia as three Chinese warships conducted exercises off the Australian east coast.
Defence Minister Judith Collins said, as on Friday night, the New Zealand Government had no confirmation from China of live firing activity in the Tasman.
“We are aware of the notification of a possible live firing activity by the Chinese Task Group currently off the coast of Australia. However, there has been no confirmation this has happened.
“Australia and New Zealand are working closely together to monitor the Task Group, and to gather information on today’s notification.
“Like Australia, our primary concern is the safety of our people, vessels and aircraft. There is no ongoing danger to New Zealand.”
Several international flights changed their routes as a result of official advice from air traffic controllers, the ABC reported.
It reported an Emirates flight from Sydney to Christchurch was directly warned by the Chinese military to avoid airspace at about 1pm New Zealand time on Friday.
Two pilots flying different planes heard broadcasts from Chinese ships, 9News reported.
‘To be clear, we weren’t notified’
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said regulator Airservices Australia warned commercial pilots of a potential hazard in airspace between the countries as three Chinese warships conducted exercises off the Australian east coast.
But Marles said Australian authorities only learned about China’s live-firing plans in international waters midway between Australia and New Zealand from the airlines.
“To be clear, we weren’t notified by China,” Marles told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio in Perth.
“What China did was put out a notification that it was intending to engage in live firing. By that, I mean a broadcast that was picked up by airlines or literally … commercial planes that were flying across the Tasman,” Marles said.
“This was very disconcerting for the planes that were flying,” he added.
Three flights — bound for Christchurch and Queenstown — from Sydney were in the air on Friday morning before they heard a warning from a Chinese warship of a live-fire exercise, media reported.
All three flights changed course. The three airlines involved, Emirates, Qantas and Virgin Australia, did not comment.
Marles said the Australian navy would typically give 12 to 24 hours’ notice of a live-firing exercise to allow airlines time to properly plan around it.
Meanwhile, Wong told ABC: “It would be normal practice where a task group is engaging in exercises for there to be advice given to vessels and aircraft in the area and Airservices Australia is doing what it should do, which is to give that advice.”
Australia was discussing with China about the notification and transparency around its naval exercises, “particularly live-fire exercises”, she said.
Virgin Australia said it was following Airservices Australia instructions, but did not say whether its New Zealand services had been diverted.
Military ships and planes have been monitoring the Chinese warships for days as they pass in international waters off the Australian east coast.
Collins said on Thrusday that China was exercising its rights under international laws which allows them to travel through those seas.
However, Collins said China had “not deigned to advise us what they’re doing in the middle of the Tasman Sea” but said it was “quite a significant event”.
It was the first time Chinese warships with that sort of capability had come this far south, she said.
Officials say Chinese naval task groups rarely venture so far south. The ships are the frigate Hengyang, cruiser Zunyi and replenishment vessel Weishanhu.
— additional reporting from Associated Press
