An Emirates flight from Sydney to Christchurch was directly warned by the Chinese military to avoid airspace on Friday morning according to ABC Australia.
That warning to flight UAE3HJ was issued around 11am, Sydney time.
Commercial pilots have been warned to avoid airspace between Australia and New Zealand because of fears that Chinese naval vessels in the area were conducting live fire military drills as reported by the ABC.
The vessels were conducting the drills 340 nautical miles south-east of Sydney, in international waters.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said China had followed international law.
“The [People’s Liberation Army] Southern Theatre Command organised the Chinese fleet to conduct a far seas exercise,” he said.
“The drill was carried out in a safe, standard and professional manner in accordance with the relevant international law and international practice.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had spoken with NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Friday afternoon.
“This is activity that has occurred in waters consistent with international law,” he said.
“There has been no risk of danger to any Australian assets or New Zealand assets.”
The Australian and International Pilots Association’s vice president, Captain Steve Cornell, said the vessel activity was “inconvenient”.
“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,” he said.
Australian defense officials were uncertain whether any live fire of weapons had occurred.
The risk had since passed, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
“There was no imminent risk of danger to any Australian assets or New Zealand assets,” Albanese told reporters, citing information from his Defense Ministry, The Associated Press reported.
New Zealand’s aviation regulator did not issue warnings. The Associated Press reported that Civil Aviation Authority said it was “aware” of the Australian advice, according to a statement. The authority did not explain its decision.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she would discuss the air service disruption when she meets her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a G20 ministers meeting underway in South Africa.
Flight monitoring websites showed multiple flights had avoided an area between Australia and New Zealand.
Air New Zealand, said in a statement it had “modified flight paths as needed to avoid the area, with no impact on our operations” The Associated Press reported.
