Australia learned about Chinese live-fire naval drills off the country’s coast that forced dozens of flights to be diverted via an alert from a commercial pilot, authorities said on Monday.

A Virgin Australia pilot alerted Australian authorities about a live-fire drill by Chinese naval ships last week in the Tasman Sea that forced 49 flights to change their paths, Australia's air traffic control agency head told a parliamentary committee.

Virgin Australia and Emirates aircraft heard the Chinese flotilla's radio notification about a live-firing test off the Australian coast last Friday.

New Zealand raised fresh concerns Monday over nearby live-fire drills conducted by Chinese warships armed with “extremely capable” weapons, an unprecedented show of firepower last week that analysts say are part of Beijing’s ongoing plan to build a blue-water navy with global reach.

Dozens of commercial flights were forced to change course when Chinese warships unexpectedly announced live-fire drills off eastern Australia last week, officials have told a government hearing. Curran said 49 commercial flights were forced to divert around the live firing zone once it became apparent the warning was legitimate.

Strategic Analysis Australia’s Michael Shoebridge claims Australians should be “very worried” about the Chinese warships conducting live fire testing off the coast of Australia.