Vietnam has accused China of endangering air safety in the South China Sea region after the latter conducted more unannounced flights through Vietnam's airspace enroute to a disputed reef in the Spratlys.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV)  has reportedly warned China that its unannounced flights "threaten the safety of all flights in the region" by not complying with international civil aviation rules and regulations.

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CAAV Director Lai Xuan Thanh said Vietnam has already sent a protest letter to Beijing about the flights and a complaint letter to the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) this past Friday.

Thanh said China has repeatedly violated all the rules and regulations of ICAO such as not maintaining radio contact with Vietnam's air traffic control center during flights and refusing to submit a flight plan.

Vietnam's civil aviation authorities said last week alone, they recorded up to 46 incidents of Chinese planes flying without warning through airspace monitored by Vietnam's air traffic control in Ho Chi Minh city.

Last Wednesday, China reportedly landed two civilian aircraft on the Fiery Cross Reef located in the Spratlys Group of islands in the South China Sea, a territory being claimed by Vietnam and other countries.

China said the flights were conducted to test the capability of the new airstrip it built on an artificial island being contested by Vietnam in the Spratlys.

Vietnam has protested the 'test flights' saying China has' seriously violated' its sovereignty to the Fiery Cross Reef which is part of the Spratlys Group of Islands being claimed by Hanoi.

Although Hanoi is claiming some islands and reefs in the Spratlys Group of Islands, the area is actually being controlled by Beijing as it has built artificial islands and an airstrip on the contested territories.

China is claiming ownership of  almost all the islands, reefs and islets in the disputed South China Sea, dismissing the claims of Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan.

The South China Sea is believed to have a huge deposit of gas and oil aside from the $5 trillion worth of maritime trade that passes through the disputed waters every year.

TagsVietnam, UN International Civil Aviation Organization, Director Lai Xuan