Commercial airliners and ships should avoid a zone north of Taiwan proper where China is planning to conduct aeronautic activities on Sunday, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday at 9pm in a formal notice to airlines operating in the Taipei Flight Information Region.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a security official said that China is planning to launch a weather satellite in the area.
The ministry earlier in the day said that Beijing gave conflicting information about the duration of the activity.
Photo: CNA
The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) received a message from Beijing at about 2pm on Wednesday, saying that its aeronautic activities within the Taipei Flight Information Region would be shortened from three days to 27 minutes from 9:30am to 9:57am on Sunday, the ministry said.
However, China’s Fujian Maritime Safety Administration yesterday afternoon announced that ships would be banned from the area from 9am to 3pm on Sunday, the ministry said.
Coordinates given by the agency in Fujian Province show that the no-navigation zone is the same as the no-fly zone set up by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration.
“As the two Chinese agencies gave inconsistent reports, we sought further confirmations from the Fujian Maritime Safety Administration,” the ministry said. “We think the agency is requesting more time because it might need to remove rocket debris from the area.”
“We are asking flight and shipping carriers to bypass the area in which aeronautic activities would be held. The CAA and the Maritime and Port Bureau will closely monitor the status in the airspace and waters around the area in the next few days,” it added.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said the ministry on Wednesday night communicated with Japanese aviation officials on the adjustment of flight routes between the Taipei and Fukuoka flight information regions.
“During the 27-minute period, flights scheduled to fly through the area will be asked to deviate from their original flight routes and fly farther south,” Wang said, adding that affected flights might take an hour longer than usual.
China changed its plan for the no-fly zone after the ministry told Beijing about potential international air traffic disruptions, he said.
“The Taipei Flight Information Region is a busy hub with 18 international flight routes. Imposing a three-day no-fly zone would disrupt many international flights, including flights departing and landing at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport,” Wang said.
Despite only taking 27 minutes, about 33 flights might be affected by China’s activities, he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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