Four sources stated China would block the airspace north of Taiwan from April 16 to 18, disrupting aircraft in the region.
China and Taiwan’s foreign ministries didn’t reply to calls for comment.
Four officials outside China told Reuters that the ban would disrupt Taiwan’s northern flight information region (FIR) and that they didn’t know why.
It follows Taiwan President Tsai Ing-meeting wen’s with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California, which incensed Beijing.
One senior source with firsthand information claimed the flight suspension would disrupt 60%-70% of flights between Northeast and Southeast Asia, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and North America.
OPSGROUP, an aviation industry cooperative that advises on flight hazards, reported that last August’s Chinese military drills disrupted regional flights and caused some pilots to carry additional fuel.
