China Plans Italy-Sized No-Fly Zone Around Beijing

China will establish a restricted airspace zone centered on Beijing beginning September 20. The zone has a 600-kilometer diameter and covers more than 280,000 square kilometers—roughly the size of Italy—and parts of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shandong, Liaoning and the Bohai Sea. About 100 million people live within the area, which contains dozens of airports and smaller airfields. Airspace is closed from ground level to unlimited altitude except for commercial, approved business, military, customs, police, firefighting and rescue flights. Exempt aircraft must follow approved flight plans, maintain two-way ATC communication, use identification and tracking equipment, and obtain authorization for route changes. The move follows a June 26 crash in which a light aircraft struck Beijing's 108-story CITIC Tower after the 66-year-old pilot lost contact with the departure airport. Companies suspended sightseeing flights afterward. Beijing Daily stated on September 13: "In order to strengthen airspace security management in the capital region, maintain order in flight operations, and protect important ground targets as well as the lives and property of citizens... China will establish a no-fly zone over the capital and surrounding areas." Chinese state media reported on the zone over the weekend without size details. No factual disputes found.