The flight that took US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan on Tuesday was the most watched in Flightradar24's history, according to the flight tracking site.
"At the time it landed in Taipei, (flight) SPAR19 was being watched by more than 708,000 people worldwide, making it the most live-watched flight in Flightradar24's history
," the service said in a statement.
line in a press release.
'Unprecedented interest'
Nancy Pelosi maintained the vagueness on a stage in Taiwan during her tour of Asia.
The visit could further sour relations between China and the United States, as Beijing claims sovereignty over the island.
"Our parliamentary delegation's visit to Taiwan demonstrates America's unconditional support for Taiwan's vibrant democracy,"
she said in a statement released shortly after her arrival.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced
“a serious violation”
of American commitments vis-à-vis China, which
“seriously undermines
regional peace and stability”.
She is the highest elected US official to visit the city-state in 25 years.
Read alsoKinmen, a “buffer” island between Taipei and Beijing, knows it is on the front line in the event of an open conflict
After taking off from Kuala Lumpur, his military plane was already followed by more than 200,000 people during the flight over Indonesia, and this figure
"continued to rise as the aircraft approached Taiwan"
, relates the website.
The service mentions articles from the American press on the presence of Nancy Pelosi on board.
This
"unprecedented and continued interest in this flight has taken a heavy toll on Flightradar24's infrastructure,"
the service continues.
Its technical teams mobilized, but
“unfortunately, given the volume of users, it was necessary to set up our waiting room, which limits access time for non-subscribers”,
explains the site.
The normal version was reinstalled shortly after the American politician landed.