Airline Pilots Caught Off Guard By Chinese Live-Fire Warning Near Australia

Pilots first learned of a Chinese live-fire naval exercise near Australia last week while already in the air, receiving messages that forced some to change their routes through a busy air corridor, according to satellite text messages seen by Reuters, Lisa Barrington and Alasdair Pal reported.

Air traffic control quickly issued hazard alerts to nearby aircraft, including a Singapore Airlines flight from Christchurch to Singapore and an Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to Melbourne.

The incident underscores how airlines are increasingly having to react at short notice to geopolitical disruptions and military hazards, such as the missile and drone exchanges between Israel and Iran last year.

It also highlights China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, with its first-ever drills in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand raising tensions, according to Western defense analysts.

China maintains that it provided adequate warning to Australia and New Zealand about the exercise.

However, the first alert came when a Virgin Australia pilot intercepted a Chinese navy broadcast on the 121.5 MHz emergency radio channel at 9:58 a.m. Sydney time last Friday (2258 GMT on Thursday).

The pilot reported the broadcast to an air traffic controller, who then relayed the information to Australia’s military, according to Airservices Australia.

“At that stage, we didn’t know whether it was a potential hoax or real,” said Peter Curran, deputy CEO of Australia’s air traffic control agency, at a parliamentary hearing this week.

Air traffic control quickly issued hazard alerts to nearby aircraft, including a Singapore Airlines flight from Christchurch to Singapore and an Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to Melbourne.

Around 11:30 a.m., the Air New Zealand pilots reported, “Hi, lots of chatter on 121.5, including Chinese navy. Same position and height/radius as you advised. Cheers.”

Twenty minutes later, an airline dispatcher informed the Air New Zealand pilots of “unannounced live firing in the Tasman, north of you, by the Chinese military.”

Both Australia and New Zealand criticized China’s notification procedures. “In that sense, it was irresponsible,” said Australia’s Defense Force Chief Admiral David Johnston during a parliamentary committee hearing.