China blocks Lao aircraft from entering "air defense identification zone"

A Lao Airlines plane en route from South Korea to Vientiane, while passing over the East China Sea, was blocked by China, not allowed to fly through the air defense identification zone (ADIZ) that Beijing had established in an area with sovereignty disputes with Tokyo.

RFI quoted the website of Air Transport World magazine on July 27 as saying that Lao Airlines flight QV 916 took off at 8:00 a.m. on July 25 from Gimhae International Airport, South Korea, to return to Vientiane Airport, Laos.

However, after an hour of flying, when the Lao Airlines Airbus 320 crossed the East China Sea, preparing to enter the air defense identification zone that Beijing had brazenly established, Chinese controllers did not allow the Lao civil aviation plane to enter this area on the grounds that the plane did not have a permit to fly over Chinese airspace. Therefore, the plane had to return to Gimhae airport.

Lao Airlines Airbus A320. (Illustration photo. Source: planespotters.net)

In November 2014, China issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) regarding the establishment of a new air defense identification zone in the East China Sea. The notice required airlines to submit flight plans and contact details to Chinese air traffic control authorities in advance if they wish to pass through the ADIZ.

In 2013, Beijing announced the establishment of an air defense identification zone in the East China Sea, an area where sovereignty is disputed between China and Japan. At that time, two Japanese airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, did not submit flight plans to Beijing in advance, saying that there was no danger to passengers and that they did not care about China's request. However, American and South Korean airlines accepted China's request.

It is not yet clear whether Lao Airlines submitted flight plans in advance as required by China.

According to Air Transport World magazine, since China established the ADIZ, no civil aviation flight has been blocked and had to return to its point of departure like Lao Airlines flight QV 916, even though not all airlines have met China's demands.

According to Vietnam+