Air Traffic Takes a Detour: Flights to Taipei Hit a Military Road Block
Picture this: you’ve booked a flight to the bustling city of Taipei, but on the day of departure the airline puts a polite “Hold on a sec” on the screen. The culprit? China’s ferocious summer drill that’s turned the skies over the Taiwan Strait into a high‑stakes obstacle course.
Why the Scout is on Take‑off Duty
- Biggest‑ever military chess move – China has sent a fleet of fighter jets and fired live missiles around the island in a six‑zone sweep that’s set to last until noon on Sunday.
- Missile‑blessed 12‑n‑mile zone – Taiwan’s territorial waters (about 22 km) are now the center of a teeth‑growing in‑flight blockade, a move that rattles international aviation norms.
- Not just a local picnic – Although the blocked airspace is relatively small, the ripple effects stretch all the way from Southeast to Northeast Asia.
Line‑up of Angry Airlines
- Korean Air & Singapore Airlines – Both have called it quits for Taipei flights on Friday, and the Korean carrier is still canceling Saturday and delaying Sunday flights.
- ANA & JAL (Japan) – They’re still flying, but only when the route steers clear of the hostile zone.
- Philippine & Hong Kong Airlines – They’re blazing longer routes around the red‑flagged area, stretching flight times and adding that extra fuel burn.
- Vietnam’s regulators – Warned airlines to stay off the hot spot, a gentle bribe to keep spirits high.
Airplane Surveillance Says…
FlightRadar24 tells us that PT carriers like China Airlines and EVA Airways kept their flight schedule but with a smarter flight path. Even the heavy‑hit cargo juggernauts—FedEx and UPS—avoided the “bad neighbors.” And yes, Emirates, United Airlines, and Turkish Airlines were all hovering around Taipei earlier that day.
COVID‑19 Still Strikes Extra Beat
Even as military drills play out, mild pandemic protocols linger—Taiwan, mainland China and Hong Kong still require quarantine for arrivals. The double whammy means fewer flights and lots of headaches for travelers.
Reroutes Are the New Norm, Not Just This Incident
- Skipping over Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan, North Korea, Iraq and Syria has been a standard trick for a while. That galactic‑skip led to a nearly four‑hour hike in flight time between Finland and Japan.
- Now, meet the OPSGroup: the aviation team that keeps pilots and airlines on the same page, waving the “red and blue” airspace flags in real time.
- Thanks to these tweaks, airlines are conserving fuel and protecting employees, but it may still feel like a longer road trip.
What Taiwan Does Next?
Reports say Taiwan’s working with neighboring Japan and the Philippines to design alternative flight paths, hoping to steer away from the fiery sweet spot.
So if you’re planning a trip to Taipei this weekend, double‑check with your airline before you pack your bags—just in case the skies decide to take a detour. Happy flying, and keep those Yaw‑Right!
