China creates Italy-sized no-fly zone around Beijing after rare crash

China is establishing a vast airspace security zone roughly the size of Italy around Beijing, barring all but commercial, approved business and emergency flights, months after a small aircraft crashed ​into the capital’s tallest building.

A permanent 600-kilometre-wide circle of “Special Restricted Area” centred around Beijing will take effect from September 20, an aviation notice attributed to Beijing airspace control authorities and available through the US Federal Aviation Administration’s public NOTAM search system reviewed by Reuters showed.

The entire airspace, from ground to unlimited altitude, will be closed for all flights except for commercial airline flights, approved business flights and military, customs, police and fire-rescue flights, the notice showed.

The over 280,000-square-kilometre zone encompasses Beijing and Tianjin, much of Hebei, and extends into parts of Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shandong, Liaoning and the Bohai Sea. By a rough geographic estimate, some 100 million people and dozens of airports and smaller airfields fall within its bounds.

The zone is among the largest permanent airspace restrictions imposed over a capital city. It follows a rare breach of Beijing’s tightly controlled skies that raised questions about security gaps in the airspace around the Chinese capital.

A light sport aircraft crashed into the 108-storey CITIC Tower in Beijing’s central business district on June 26. Local authorities said the crash ​killed the sole pilot and injured 13 others who were not on board.

The 66-year-old pilot, who authorities said had repeatedly mentioned ending his life in his diary, deviated ‌from ⁠his approved flight area and lost contact with a general aviation airport in Beijing’s suburbs from which he took off, official reports said.

Continuous surveillance

All exempt flights operating inside the new restricted zone must strictly follow the pre-approved flight plan, report and obtain approval for any potential deviation, and maintain continuous two-way radio communication with air traffic control, the notice showed.

Aircraft are required to have surveillance and identification equipment on board that would allow air traffic controllers to identify and track them continuously and electronically. Pilots must also report “security status” before entering the restricted zone, the notice said.

Chinese state media said over the weekend a “Capital No-Fly Zone” would be established over Beijing from September 20, without specifying the exact size and scope of the restricted area.

“To strengthen airspace security management in the capital region, maintain order in aerial operations, and protect important targets ​on the ground and the lives and property of the public … China ​will designate a no-fly zone in and around the capital,” the state-run Beijing Daily said on Sunday.