Australia warns airlines to beware Chinese navy live-fire exercise

Australia has warned international airlines flying between Australian airports and New Zealand to beware of Chinese warships conducting a live-fire exercise in the Tasman Sea, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday.

Ms Wong confirmed an Australian Broadcasting Corporation report that regulator Airservices Australia had warned commercial pilots of a potential hazard in the airspace between the countries as three Chinese warships conduct exercises off the Australian east coast.

Several international flights had diverted as a result, ABC reported.

“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,” Ms Wong told the broadcaster.

Australian military ships and planes have been monitoring the Chinese warships for days as they pass in international waters off the Australian east coast.

Australian and International Pilots Association vice president Captain Steve Cornell, who represents pilots from Australia’s largest airline Qantas, was critical of where the Chinese chose to hold their exercise.

“Whilst it was unusual to have Chinese warships in this part of the world, pilots often have to contend with obstacles to safe navigation, whether that be from military exercises such as this or other events like rocket launches, space debris or volcanic eruptions,” Mr Cornell said in a statement.

“That being said, it’s a big bit of ocean and you would think that they could have parked somewhere less inconvenient whilst they flexed their muscles,” he added.

Virgin Australia said it was following Airservices Australia’s instructions, but did not say whether its New Zealand services had been diverted.

Officials say Chinese naval task groups rarely venture so far south. The ships are the frigate Hengyang, cruiser Zunyi and replenishment vessel Weishanhu.