Radio interference affects flights over Hubei

The airspace of Central China's Hubei province has become the region most vulnerable to radio interference in central and southern China, according to local air traffic management authorities.

From January to June, 197 flights reported interference by radio signals when flying through Hubei airspace, the Wuhan Evening News reported on Friday, citing an official from the air traffic management bureau of Hubei.

The latest incident was reported at 8:10 pm on July 12 when a plane was flying from the southwestern city of Chengdu to Wuhan, capital of Hubei. A pop song interfered with the captain's dialogue with air traffic management staff based on the ground, according to the bureau.

The official was quoted as saying that civil aviation radio has its fixed frequency, through which planes can contact traffic management on the ground, but some radio stations expand their frequencies without authorization, and that could greatly threaten air traffic safety.

On May 23, more than 10 flights were delayed at Guangzhou Baiyun airport in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, due to severe radio interference in Hubei airspace, according to the report.