Soon after the first incursion on Saturday, it was widely reported in international media that the PRC had invaded the Republic of China's (Taiwan's) airspace. Editors: Anand Krishnamoorthy, Vipin V.The PLA aircraft passed over the island's southwest coast at a distance of 200 to 300 kilometers (124 to 186 miles), much too close for Taipei's comfort, as Taiwan fears that an invasion from the People's Republic could happen at any time. –With assistance from Michael Sin in Sydney and Mary Schlangenstein in Dallas. If the tension between China and Japan rises further, it could hamper tourism and lead to a decline in airline passengers in the region, according to Siyi Lim, an aviation analyst at OCBC Investment Research in Singapore. They can cooperate, fly alternate routes, or wait to see how China reacts. Airlines do this routinely around the world.Ĭhina’s establishment of the new ADIZ means airlines are being asked for information on flights across a wider region, including between neighboring countries such as Japan and Taiwan. When commercial flights transit through an airspace, they are required to file their flight plans and establish two-way radio communication with the relevant air traffic control (ATC) authorities. How do airlines usually handle such situations? Though no one expects such an outcome now, some people are concerned about worst-case scenarios as tensions rise. The Soviets said the airplane had flown into their airspace. plane, killing all 269 people aboard the jet. In September 1983, the former Soviet Union, in the midst of the Cold War, shot down a Korean Air Lines Co. However, the situation gets more complex when airspace is contested and communications aren’t clear. Military and commercial aircraft share the skies all the time without incident. Q: What are the precedents for such interactions? #TAIWAN AIR DEFENSE ZONE MAP VERIFICATION#It can send fighter jets for closer visual verification of passenger planes, according to Tim Huxley, executive director at the International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia in Singapore. 28, China sent warplanes through the area, in a sign its determination to exert its rights isn’t waning.Ĭhina could also disrupt commercial flights by trying to enforce the zone and can complain to the airlines. After saying aircraft must identify themselves to Chinese authorities, the government appeared to back off, with officials saying it won’t affect normal international flights and China hoped civilian airlines would actively cooperate. While there’s no direct effect on passengers so far, there could be an impact if airlines choose to take an alternative route, thereby lengthening flights.Ĭhina has sent mixed signals about how aggressively it’s enforcing its authority over the zone. State Department urged American airlines to notify Chinese authorities before flying through the new air-defense zone, though the Obama administration made it clear that doesn’t mean it accepts China’s authority over the zone. Commercial airlines in Japan and South Korea are defying China’s requests to hand over flight information, while U.S., Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore carriers are complying. That means passengers may end up in the middle of the dispute, whether they realize it or not. The zone is in the midst of some of the busiest passenger routes in Asia – connecting Japan to Hong Kong, Taipei, and Southeast Asian cities like Singapore. What does this mean for airplane passengers in the region? More than 20 countries have such zones, according to China’s defense ministry. extend them into the waters around their lands. Many countries have them over their own territories, and governments such as the U.S. It’s an area above land or water in which aircraft have to identify themselves in the interest of national security. What is an air-defense identification zone? The information is drawn from industry groups, analysts and aviation websites. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the air-defense identification zone, or ADIZ. China flew its military jets into the zone in response. and South Korea, with all three nations sending military planes into the area. The move was denounced by Japan, the U.S. 23, China’s Defense Ministry said aircraft entering the zone must identify themselves and report flight plans to its government. China has sparked an increase in tensions with neighboring countries by establishing an air defense identification zone over waters and islands off its east coast also claimed by Japan and Taiwan.
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