UPDATE: 04 12 2023: 5:20 p.m.: China only plans to close airspace north of Taiwan for under half an hour because of a falling object from a satellite launch vehicle. Reuters revised its initial report that China would impose a three-day no-fly zone in the area, citing Taiwanese and South Korean officials.
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China is reportedly preparing to impose a "no-fly zone" in the airspace north of Taiwan, potentially impacting flights throughout the region.
On Wednesday afternoon (April 12), Reuters reported that China is preparing to "close the airspace north of Taiwan" from Sunday to Tuesday (April 16-18). It cited four officials as saying on the condition of anonymity that the flight ban could potentially lead to flight disruptions in Taiwan's northern flight information region (FIR).
The sources said they are not sure of the reasons behind the air restrictions. One senior official told the news agency that the ban on air traffic could impact 60% to 70% of flights running from Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, as well as "flights between Taiwan and South Korea, Japan, and North America."
In 2022, after former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, China imposed no-fly zones and no-navigation zones around Taiwan from Aug. 4-7. On the first day of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) live-fire drills last year, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport canceled 51 flights, impacting routes from Japan and South Korea as well as destinations in Southeast Asia.