The recordings, accessed by 9News through freedom of information requests, provide, for the first time, insight into the moment a Virgin Australia pilot first raised concerns about the drills in February, catching Australian authorities unaware.

“We just had a warning from a Chinese naval taskforce that they’re doing a live firing exercise… is anyone aware of that?” he asked.

“You will essentially fly right over the top of that position.”

The Emirates jet was quickly diverted to the south of the flotilla – one of 49 flights forced to change course due to the military drills.

Another flight caught up in the incident was operated by Qantas, with its pilot asking how high the missiles would be flying.

Although air traffic control was initially uncertain, an Emirates pilot reported that the Chinese naval fleet would be firing to altitudes up to 15 kilometers – exceeding typical commercial flight heights.

These exercises, taking place in international waters between Australia and New Zealand, did not legally require China to notify either nation due to the lack of legal obligations in such areas.

However, the federal government has sought reassurances from Beijing that it will receive proper notice of any future exercises.

“I said what I said at the time,” Albanese said following that summit.

“There was no infringement of international law by China; they were acting within their legal rights. However, the notice and manner of conducting live-fire drills were causes for concern.”