Australia warned airlines flying between Australian airports and New Zealand on Friday of a possible Chinese warship firing exercise in the Tasman Sea, diverting several flights and raising questions about whether China had been given sufficient warning of the danger.
Regulator Airservices Australia warned commercial pilots of potential dangers in the airspace between the countries as three Chinese warships conduct exercises off Australia’s east coast, officials said.
However, three flights from Sydney to the New Zealand cities of Christchurch and Queenstown were in the air before they were first warned of a firing exercise by a Chinese warship on their way, media reports said.
The warships – the frigate Hengyang, cruiser Zunyi and resupply ship Weishanghu – exercise freedom of navigation in international waters off Australia’s east coast, annoying Beijing when a similar exercise is conducted by the Australian military in the contested South China Sea.
China has warned that the ships could potentially open fire during the exercise, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
At a regular briefing by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday, spokesman Guo Jiakun said China’s military had organised its fleet to conduct the exercise on the high seas. The exercise was conducted in a safe, standard and professional manner in accordance with relevant international law and practice, Guo said.
Australian defence officials were unsure whether the actual firing occurred. The danger has now passed, Albanese said. The prime minister added that there was no immediate danger to any Australian or New Zealand assets, citing information from his defence ministry.
New Zealand says there was no immediate danger
New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins agreed in a statement that there was no immediate danger to her country. She said New Zealand was aware of possible firing activity but there was no confirmation that any shooting had taken place. She also added that New Zealand was working closely with Australia to gather information about Friday’s events.
New Zealand’s aviation regulator has not issued any warnings. The aviation authority said it was aware of Australia’s advice, according to the statement. The authority did not explain its decision.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she would discuss the air traffic disruption when she meets Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at the G20 ministerial meeting in South Africa.
“We will discuss it with the Chinese, and we have already done so at an official level, in relation to the notification that has been provided and the transparency that has been provided in relation to these exercises, particularly firing exercises,” Wong told the Johannesburg-based Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Flight monitoring websites showed several flights avoided the area between Australia and New Zealand.
Air New Zealand, the country’s national carrier, said in a statement that it had modified flight routes as necessary to avoid the area without affecting our operations.
Virgin Australia said it followed instructions from Airservices Australia but did not say whether its New Zealand services had been diverted. Pilots on Virgin, Qantas and Emirates flights from Sydney to New Zealand changed course after a warship broadcast a warning of an imminent firing exercise, Nine Network television reported.
Chinese vessel under surveillance
Qantas and Emirates did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Australian and New Zealand warships and P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft have been watching Chinese warships for days.
Chinese warships rarely come this far south as part of a deployment seen as a demonstration of the growing size and capabilities of the Chinese navy. Captain Steve Cornell, vice-president of the Australian and International Pilots Association, which represents Qantas pilots, was critical of China’s choice of location for the exercise.
“While it is unusual to see Chinese warships in this part of the world, pilots often have to face obstacles to navigate safely, whether it is military exercises such as this one or other events such as missile launches, space debris or volcanic eruptions,” Cornell said.
Still, it’s a huge area of ocean, and one would think they could have parked somewhere less inconvenient while demonstrating their capabilities, he added.
Chinese exercise was legal and took place in international waters outside Australia’s exclusive economic zone, Albanese said.
