New | Chinese military aircraft likely to land at new airport in disputed area of South China Sea in coming months, says ex-PLA officer

A new airport in a contested part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea will soon be used by military aircraft to conduct test flights, probably within the first half of the year, according to a retired Chinese major general.

Civil aircraft completed two test flights on Wednesday at the airport on Fiery Cross Reef, known as Yongshu Reef in China , amid Japanese, Vietnamese and US concerns over the landing of another plane there last Saturday.

READ MORE: Chinese civilian aircraft make test run to Fiery Cross Reef in South China Sea

Retired major general Xu Guangyu said the airport would mostly serve civilian purposes, such as rescue work and the transport of goods, but it could also be used by military aircraft to patrol the South China Sea.

“Military aircraft will take off from there sooner or later. Very likely within the first half of the year,” Xu said.

As airports permitted to serve civil aircraft often met more stringent requirements than those that serve military planes, the fact that civil flights had already tested the runway meant it also qualified for military use, he said.

The facility’s 3km-long runway made it suitable for fighter planes, bomb carriers, scout planes and helicopters, he said.

Allowing civil aircraft on the reef was vital to developing and safeguarding islands in the South China Sea as they helped provide supplies to troop stations there, according to Xu.