- Some pilots flying near Australia were caught off guard when ships from the Chinese navy began conducting live-fire drills along their flight path. The pilots received notifications about the drills after takeoff through satellite text messages, requiring them to abruptly change course in busy airspace.
- The incident highlighted how commercial airlines are increasingly forced to divert on short notice due to military exercises and conflicts, such as the barrage of missiles and drones exchanged between Israel and Iran last year.
- China said it properly warned Australia and New Zealand about the drills.
Full Story
Live-fire drills carried out by the Chinese navy surprised some pilots on Friday, Feb. 28, as they took place along their flight path. Air traffic control told the pilots about the drills after takeoff through satellite text messages.
Media Landscape
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Left 37%
Center 26%
Right 37%
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The live-fire drills forced the pilots to change course in busy airspace abruptly.
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Has this happened before?
The incident highlighted how commercial airlines are increasingly forced to divert on short notice due to military exercises and conflicts, such as the barrage of missiles and drones exchanged between Israel and Iran last year.
Not every encounter ends in a close call; some end in tragedy.
For example, Russian forces shot down a Malaysian Airlines flight over Ukraine in 2014. Another Ukrainian flight leaving Tehran in 2020 experienced the same fate.
In December 2024, a suspicious incident led to the downing of an Azerbaijani jet over Russia.
What do the naval exercises mean for the world?
Western analysts informed Reuters that Beijing’s recent exercises represent its first drills in the Tasmanian Sea between Australia and New Zealand. They said this indicated that China has become more assertive in the Indo-Pacific region.
China said it adequately warned Australia and New Zealand about the drills.
When did airlines become aware?
The airlines, however, first learned of the firing exercises when a Virgin Australia pilot picked up a Beijing naval broadcast on an emergency radio. Air Services Australia reported that the pilot informed air traffic control, which then relayed the information to the military.
The deputy CEO of Australia’s air traffic control said the agency was uncertain whether the incident was a “hoax or real” and started sending alerts to nearby aircraft.
Eventually, an airline dispatcher said it was “unannounced live firing” by the Chinese navy.
Were the drills in compliance with international law?
The Chinese vessels were outside Australia’s exclusive economic zone, and China claimed that the drills complied with international law, both in Beijing’s warning and regarding the location of the exercises.
How have Australia and New Zealand?
While Australia acknowledged that China’s warnings technically comply with international law, both Australia and New Zealand said the drills failed to employ best practices in notifying them.
The chief of Australia’s defense forces said, “In that sense, it was irresponsible.”
It’s unclear when the Chinese navy notified both nations.
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How and when are pilots usually notified?
Notice to Airmen, which are typically filed at least 24 hours in advance, usually alert pilots to military drills, rocket launches and other practices.
Australian Air Services said the short notice or no notice at all in some instances, resulted in dozens of rerouted planes.
Tags: Australia, Beijing, China, Iran, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Kremlin, Military Defense, Military Drills, missiles, Moscow, New Zealand, People’s Republic of China, Plane, plane crash, Russia, Ukraine, Weapons
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
SOME PILOTS FLYING NEAR AUSTRALIA WERE CAUGHT OFF GUARD–WHEN SHIPS FROM THE CHINESE NAVY STARTED DOING LIVE-FIRE DRILLS ALONG THEIR FLIGHT PATH
THE PILOTS WERE TOLD ABOUT THE DRILLS AFTER THEY WERE AIRBORNE THROUGH SATELLITE TEXT MESSAGES–FORCING THEM TO ABRUPTLY CHANGE COURSE IN BUSY AIRSPACE.
THE INCIDENT UNDERSCORES HOW COMMERCIAL AIRLINERS ARE INCREASINGLY HAVING TO DIVERT ON SHORT NOTICE AMID MILITARY EXERCISES AND CONFLICTS, LIKE A HAIL OF MISSILES AND DRONES EXCHANGED BETWEEN ISRAEL AND IRAN LAST YEAR.
OF COURSE NOT EVERY ENCOUNTER ENDS IN A CLOSE CALL, SOME END IN TRAGEDY. A MALAYSIAN AIRLINES FLIGHT OVER UKRAINE WAS SHOT DOWN BY FORCES WITH TIES TO THE KREMLIN IN 2014, A UKRAINIAN FLIGHT DEPARTING TEHRAN IN 2020 WAS ALSO SHOT DOWN AND A SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT LED TO THE DOWNING OF AN AZERBAIJANI JET OVER RUSSIA IN DECEMBER.
BUT BACK TO THE PRESENT DAY–WHERE WESTERN ANALYSTS SAY BEIJING’S RECENT EXERCISES ARE ITS FIRST DRILLS IN THE TASMANIAN SEA BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, A SIGN CHINA IS BECOMING MORE AGGRESSIVE IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION.
CHINA SAYS IT GAVE PROPER WARNING TO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND ABOUT THE DRILLS.
THE AIRLINES, HOWEVER, FIRST HEARD OF THE FIRING EXERCISES APPARENTLY WHEN A VIRGIN AUSTRALIA PILOT PICKED UP A BEIJING NAVAL BROADCAST ON AN EMERGENCY RADIO.
AIR SERVICES AUSTRALIA SAYS THE PILOT INFORMED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, WHO THEN RELAYED THE INFORMATION TO THE MILITARY.
THE DEPUTY C-E-O OF AUSTRALIA’S AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SAYS THE AGENCY WAS UNCLEAR IF THE INCIDENT WAS A “HOAX OR REAL” AND BEGAN SENDING ALERTS TO NEARBY AIRCRAFT.
EVENTUALLY, AN AIRLINE DISPATCHER SAID IT WAS “UNNANNOUNCED LIVE FIRING” BY THE CHINESE NAVY.
THE CHINESE VESSELS WERE NOT IN AUSTRALIA’S EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE, AND CHINA ASSERTS THE DRILLS WERE IN COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW, BOTH IN BEIJING’S WARNING AND WHERE THE EXERCISES WERE CONDUCTED.
WHILE AUSTRALIA ACKNOWLEDGES CHINA’S WARNINGS DID TECHNICALLY COMPLY WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW–BOTH AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND SAY THE DRILLS FAILED TO EMPLOY BEST PRACTICES IN NOTIFYING THEM.
AND THE CHIEF OF AUSTRALIA’S DEFENSE FORCE SAYS “IN THAT SENSE, IT WAS IRRESPONSIBLE.”
IT’S UNCLEAR WHEN THE CHINESE NAVY NOTIFIED BOTH NATIONS.
PILOTS ARE USUALLY ALERTED TO MILITARY DRILLS, ROCKET LAUNCHES AND OTHER PRACTICES THROUGH NOTICES TO AIRMEN–WHICH ARE, TYPICALLY FILED AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE.
AUSTRALIAN AIR SERVICES SAYS THE SHORT NOTICE OR NO NOTICE AT ALL IN SOME INSTANCES, RESULTED IN DOZENS OF PLANES BEING REROUTED.
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M RYAN ROBERTSON.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 37%
Center 26%
Right 37%
Bias Summary
- Australia learned about Chinese live-fire naval drills through an alert from a commercial pilot.
- The first notice of the drills came in a radio transmission monitored by a Virgin Australia passenger jet.
- At least 49 aircraft diverted their flight paths to avoid the drills, according to Airservices Australia.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese noted that while the drills complied with international law, China could have given more notice.
Bias Comparison
Media outlets on the left
depict the discovery of Chinese naval drills by a Virgin Australia pilot, framing the incident as surprising and potentially threatening due to the late warning provided to Australia.
Media outlets in the center
emphasize the pilot’s alert and immediate air traffic response but downplays the emotional weight of the situation’s danger.
Media outlets on the right
highlight the official governance surrounding the incident and provides reassurances of no danger, which contrasts with the severity implied in the left.
Report an issue with this comparison
Bias Distribution
34 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
34
Leaning Left
7
Center
5
Leaning Right
7
Last Updated
3 days ago
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