Air travel in the Australia-New Zealand region has been disrupted following a rare military drill conducted by China in the Tasman Sea, which involves multiple naval vessels. Australian airlines, including Qantas, have reported that flights between the two countries were temporarily rerouted to ensure passenger safety amidst the ongoing military activities, which were described by Australian officials as "unusual."
The Chinese naval presence, consisting of a frigate, cruiser, and supply tanker, drew the attention of both countries as they monitored the ships, now reportedly located 340 nautical miles from Australia’s New South Wales coast. The situation intensified as the fleet came close to within 150 nautical miles of Sydney.
In light of the situation, New Zealand's Defence Minister Judith Collins expressed concern over China's lack of communication regarding their military presence in the region, claiming they were not informed of the warships' movement. Conversely, Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles acknowledged the naval operations as not unprecedented, though still straying into atypical territory.
China’s exercises, described by their foreign ministry as standard naval training, have raised alarms, especially since Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed an alert had been issued regarding potential live fire drills. Notably, Marles indicated that usual advance notifications for such exercises, which are customary for ensuring air traffic safety, were not provided in this instance.
On the day of the drill, an Emirates flight en route from Sydney to Christchurch received real-time notifications from Chinese authorities while still airborne. Qantas and other airlines, including Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand, are actively monitoring the situation in coordination with government agencies.
The military activity comes just days after a defense dialogue took place between Australia and China, where issues of military transparency were discussed. Relations have been strained between the two nations, highlighted by recent maritime encounters, including a Chinese fighter jet’s engagement with an Australian military aircraft.
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