TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Approximately 33 flights will be affected by a no-fly zone that China will impose to the north of Taiwan on Sunday (April 16).

On Wednesday (April 12), news broke that China would "close the airspace north of Taiwan" from Sunday to Tuesday (April 16-18), potentially impacting 18 international routes and 160 flights per day. However, Transportation Minister Wang Kuo-tsai (王國材) was cited by CNA as saying that after communicating with counterparts in China, the airspace restrictions were shortened to just 27 minutes on Sunday, affecting 33 flights.

Wang said during this 27-minute period, flights will need to deviate from their original flight paths and "fly southward" from the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) to the Fukuoka FIR. At 9 p.m. on Thursday (April 13) a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) will be issued.

In the sea area affected, a notice will also be sent to ships at 9 p.m on Thursday. All merchant ships and fishing boats are requested to avoid this area.

Wang said that China had issued an announcement on Wednesday (April 11) that it would engage in "aerospace activities" for three days, but it did not provide details on what those activities would involve or whether objects may fall in the designated area of closed airspace located to the northeast of Taiwan.

When asked whether China's declaration of this no-fly zone was an example of cognitive warfare designed by China to impose its claims of sovereignty over Taiwan, Wang said "I don't know." He went on to say that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications expressed its needs in terms of aviation safety, international air routes, and the Taipei FIR.

Regarding how much longer flights will take due to taking altered routes, Wang said the flight times will increase slightly, perhaps by less than an hour. As for whether these flights will be canceled, he said that he has not heard of any cancelations so far, and it may take a little longer to know for sure.