Flights over the Tasman Sea have been diverted after China carried out a military exercise in waters off the coast of Australia, which may have involved live fire. The Chinese task group is located in the middle of the Tasman Sea, halfway between Australia and New Zealand.
The Chinese ships put out a broadcast that was picked up by commercial planes that were flying across the stretch of water, said Australian defence minister Richard Marles in an ABC radio interview on February 21, 2025.
The defence minister stated that the Chinese ships did comply with international law in terms of providing notice of military exercise but said that this notice was “very short” and put commercial aircraft in “disconcerting circumstance”. He also stated that usually such notices would be provided between 12 and 24 hours in advance.
China has said the exercise, which is taking place in international waters, is in accordance with international law.
Australia’s flag carrier Qantas confirmed that it, along with low-cost subsidiary Jetstar, are “continually monitor the airspace in which our aircraft operate and have temporarily adjusted some flights across the Tasman.”
“We continue to work with the Australian government and broader industry to monitor the situation. There has been and remains no disruption to flights,” a Qantas spokesperson told Airline Economics.
Similarly, Air New Zealand told Airline Economics that it had modified flight paths “as needed” to avoid the area, like Qantas there was no impact to operations.
Virgin Australia had reportedly also diverted a number of flights over the Tasman Sea.
Airservices Australia, the country’s air traffic control agency said: “The Civil Aviation Authority and Airservices Australia are aware of reports of live firing in international waters,” air traffic control agency Airservices Australia said in a statement on Friday. The agency said it is continuing to advise airlines with flights planned in the area.
This is the latest encounter between Australia and China, just last week an Australian military aircraft that was flying in international airspace in the South China Sea was challenged by Chinese Air Force planes, Marles said that flares were released by the Chinese jets, passing within about 30 meters of the Australian military aircraft.