China's revised flight paths could harm aviation safety: MOTC official

Taipei, Jan. 31 (CNA) China's recent adjustments to its flight paths in the Taiwan Strait could potentially affect aviation safety around the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen and Matsu islands, Taiwan's transportation minister said Wednesday.

Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材), who heads the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), was referring to an announcement by the Civil Aviation Administration of China on Tuesday on the flight path adjustments.

China said the north-south M503 flight path would be moved back to its original path coming as close as 4.2 nautical miles of the median line of the Taiwan Strait after having "offset" it an additional 6 nautical miles to the west following negotiations with Taiwan in 2015.

It also said it would begin allowing eastbound flights on flight path W122 between Fuzhou and M503 and W123 between Xiamen and M503 beginning on Feb. 1. Westbound traffic on those flight paths had been allowed since 2018.

Wang said the W122 flight path was close to both airports in the Matsu islands, and the W123 path was close to the airport in Kinmen, posing aviation security concerns if cross-strait communications were not carried out properly.

China unilaterally established the M503 flight path in 2015, and its proximity to the median line in the Taiwan Strait and the Taipei Flight Information Region raised safety concerns.

After negotiations, China agreed to move the route westward, but it has now decided to move the flight path back, which Wang called "regrettable."

Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) also condemned China's moves and said he has asked the government agencies concerned to assess possible outcomes and appropriate measures to safeguard aviation safety and national security.

Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration and Ministry of Defense are currently planning responses, Wang said.

According to Reuters, the M503 flight path is mostly used by Chinese airlines but also by some foreign airlines flying between cities in China like Shanghai and Southeast Asia.

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