Vietnamese carriers asked to avoid areas near Taiwan due to Chinese military exercises

A Vietnam Airlines aircraft lands at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, June 15, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Vietnamese airlines have been asked to avoid areas near Taiwan in the next two days as China will conduct military exercises around the island.

According to VN Express, Dinh Viet Thang, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, said that it has received an official notice from Chinese authorities, asking airlines operating in Asia to avoid flying near the island of Taiwan from 11 a.m. Thursday until Friday.

CAAV has informed Vietnamese airlines to adjust flight routes.

"Airlines can still operate normally and decide on their own to postpone or cancel flights if necessary," Thang said.

Vietnamese airlines which operate flights from Hanoi, HCMC to Taiwan have not yet announced flight cancelation or delays.

China on Wednesday warned airlines operating in Asia to avoid flying in areas around Taiwan, promoting several Asian airlines to start adjusting their flight routes.

Chinese Xiamen Airlines announced adjustments to several flights, citing "flow control" in Fujian.

Korean Airlines is planning to re-route some routes to South Asia in order to avoid Taiwan's airspace while Cathay Pacific Airways pilots were advised to carry 30 minutes worth of extra fuel for possible rerouting in Taiwan, Bloomberg reported.

Shortly after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan Tuesday night for a historic visit, China announced that the Chinese military will hold live-fire drills in six maritime areas surrounding Taiwan and their respective airspace from August 4-7, according to state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Pelosi's visit escalated tension between the U.S. and China, with Beijing considering the act as provocative and Washington's betrayal of its "One-China policy."

China said Pelosi's visit seriously damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, "has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Reuters reported.

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