Safe Airspace – Conflict Zone and Risk Database

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Syria 29 Jun

German Notam updated, guidance remains the same: Flights are prohibited in Syrian airspace.

Afghanistan 26 Jun

German Notam updated, advice remains the same: overflights should be at FL330 or above.

Mali 19 Jun

German Notam updated, advice remains the same: Avoid GATB, GAGO, GAMB and GAKL airports; overflights should be at FL260 or above.

South Sudan 19 Jun

German Notam updated, advice remains the same: Overflights should be at FL260 or above.

Libya 17 Jun

New German Notam: operators are prohibited from overflying Libyan airspace. Do not enter any part of the HLLL/Tripoli FIR at any flight level. (Their previous warning, which expired in March 2020, only prohibited overflights in the north-west part of the country.)

North Korea 15 Jun

Updated German Notam, advice remains unchanged: there is a potential risk to overflights of North Korean airspace (ZKKP FIR) due to launching of test missiles without prior notice.

Egypt 20 May

New German Notam: Entire Sinai Peninsula presents a risk below FL260 for overflights and landings, with a particular focus on the northern part.

Iran 20 May

UK Notam extended, advice remains the same: UK operators should not overfly the Tehran FIR below 25,000ft AGL

Yemen 15 May

German Notam updated, advice remains the same: German operators are prohibited from operating on airways over the Yemen landmass within the OYSC/Sanaa FIR.

Iraq 05 May

German Notam updated, advice remains the same: overflights should be at FL260 or above.

Saudi Arabia 05 May

German Notam updated, advice remains the same: Potential risk to overflying or landing anywhere in Saudi Arabia, but particularly along the border with Yemen in the southwest part of the OEJD/Jeddah FIR.

Somalia 01 May

German Notam updated, advice remains the same: Do not operate to airports in Somalia, and do not overfly the airspace below FL260 except for UR401.

Pakistan 01 May

German Notam updated, advice remains the same: potential risk of attacks at all airports in Pakistan.

Iran 30 Apr

Germany Notam updated, advice remain the same: exercise caution in the Tehran FIR due to risk posed by anti-aircraft weaponry.

Iraq 22 Apr

UK operators should not overfly the Baghdad FIR, except on airways UL602 to ALPET, UM860 and UM688, when operating above 25,000ft AGL.

Syria 09 Apr

Updated French AIC, advice remains the same: Operators should avoid Syrian airspace.

Mali 09 Apr

New French AIC with new advice for Mali: overflights should be at or above FL320 in the part of the Niamey FIR (DRRR) located above the Malian territory.

Libya 09 Apr

Updated French AIC, advice remains the same: French operators should avoid Libya airspace.

Sudan 09 Apr

Updated French AIC, advice changed: minimum flight level raised from FL200 to FL260 in the airspace in the far southern and western edges of the country.

South Sudan 09 Apr

Updated French AIC, advice remains the same: Overflights should be at FL260 or above, in the part of the HSSS/Sudan FIR above South Sudan.

Somalia 09 Apr

Updated French AIC, advice remains the same: Overflights should be at FL260 or above.

Ukraine 09 Apr

Updated French AIC, advice remains the same: Overflights of the UKFV and UKDV FIRs in the east of the country should only be on four airways: M854, M856, M860 and L851.

Iraq 09 Apr

Updated French AIC, advice remains the same: Overflights should only be on airways UM860 and UM688, and UL602 between TASMI and ALPET. Fly at or above FL320.

Saudi Arabia 09 Apr

New French AIC, advice remains the same: Exercise caution in Saudi airspace, particularly in the southwest of the FIR; and do no operate to OEAB/Abha, OEGN/Jazan, OENG/Nejran, OESH/Sharurah, OEWD/Wadi Al Dawasir and OEBH/Bisha airports.

Yemen 09 Apr

Updated French AIC, advice remains the same: Operators should avoid Yemeni airspace.

Afghanistan 09 Apr

Updated French AIC, advice remains the same: Overflights should be at FL260 or above.

Pakistan 09 Apr

Updated French AIC, advice remains the same: Overflights should be at FL260 or above.

North Korea 09 Apr

Updated French AIC, advice remains the same: caution advised for all North Korea overflights, especially in the maritime part over the Sea of Japan

Egypt 30 Mar

US Notam updated, advice remains unchanged: avoid overflying the Sinai Peninsula below FL260; if planning to do so, provide 3 days notice to the FAA.

Egypt 30 Mar

Updated US FAA Background Notice, advice remains the same: Avoid overflying the Sinai Peninsula below FL260.

Afghanistan 28 Mar

Updated US Notam, advice remains the same: Stick to airways, and maintain FL330 or higher. If you have to land at airports in the country, minimise ground time; aircraft on the ground have been damaged or destroyed by indirect rocket or mortar fire from militant attacks.

Iraq 13 Mar

Canada updated Notam: operators should not enter the airspace of Iraq

Iraq 12 Mar

New FAA Notam: US operators are prohibited from overflying Iraq

Iraq 12 Mar

Iraq country summary updated to reflect the new airspace ban issued by the US FAA on Mar 12

Egypt 04 Mar

Updated Irish Notam, advice remains the same: avoid overflying the Sinai Peninsula below FL260

Kenya 26 Feb

Updated FAA Notam, advice remains unchanged: Exercise caution below FL260 in Kenya's airspace east of 40 degrees East longitude (the border region with Somalia) due to extremist and militant activity.

Ukraine 26 Feb

This is just a pointer Notam, directing people to read the SFAR which contains complete information about the US restrictions on Ukraine airspace.

Mali 26 Feb

Updated FAA Notam, advice remains the same: Exercise caution if operating below FL260 in Mali's airspace. If you plan to, notify the FAA 3 days in advance.

Mali 26 Feb

Exercise caution if operating below FL260 in Mali's airspace.

Iran 17 Feb

Further (4th reissue) FAA Notam clarifying overwater restrictions in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

Syria 09 Feb

New Canada Notam: Canadian operators advised not to enter the airspace of Syria, and there is a potential risk to aircraft within 200nm of the Damascus FIR.

Libya 09 Feb

New Canada Notam: Canadian operators advised not to enter the airspace of Libya

Syria 07 Feb

Risk summary updated

Iran 07 Feb

US FAA Background Notice on Iran

Sudan 15 Jan

Country summary updated to include the temporary closure of HSSS/Khartoum on 14 Jan 2020 following armed clashes near the airport.

Iraq 14 Jan

New Ukraine Notam: Ukranian operators are prohibited from overflying Iraq

Iran 14 Jan

New Ukraine Notam: Ukranian operators are prohibited from overflying Iran

Iran 11 Jan

Canada has issued a prohibition Notam for Iranian airspace, the first Conflict Zone Notam that Canada has ever issued.

Iran 10 Jan

Following the shoot-down of Ukraine Int Airlines flight 752 in Tehran on Jan 8, multiple countries have issued airspace bans on Iran, and most airlines are now avoiding the entire Tehran FIR. This means that for aircraft operators, the Tehran FIR should be a no-fly area.

Iraq 08 Jan

New Iraq Notam: Iraq issues warning to operators that Iran fired missiles into the ORBB/Baghdad FIR, altitude and trajectory unknown.

Iran 08 Jan

New FAA Notam: US operators are prohibited from overflying Iran

Libya 25 Nov

In Nov 2019, militia advancing on the capital, Tripoli, declared a no-fly-zone around the city, and there is now a very real chance that they will shoot-down civil aircraft attempting to fly to HLLM/Tripoli Mitiga airport.

Egypt 20 Jul

British Airways suspends Cairo operations for one week due to security concerns

Japan 27 May

US warning for Sea of Japan expired, no current warnings for Japan.

Venezuela 16 May

Ongoing political and social crisis in Venezuela. On 1st May 2019, the US FAA issued a new “Do Not Fly” instruction to US operators, barring all operations into or over Venezuela, unless operating at or above FL260, and giving a window of 48 hours to leave the country.

North Korea 10 May

Saudi Arabia 01 May

Minor update to summary

United Arab Emirates 15 Apr

Summary updated to reflect latest threat made by Houthi rebels in Yemen to target UAE.

Pakistan 21 Feb

Chad 31 Dec

South Sudan 31 Dec

Kenya 31 Dec

Somalia 31 Dec

Country summary updated to include the possible shoot-down of an Embraer EMB-120 while on approach to Bardale airstrip on May 4, 2020.

Ukraine 31 Dec

Added Crimea risk

Cyprus 31 Dec

Yemen 31 Dec

Afghanistan 31 Dec

Philippines 31 Dec

Turkey 31 Aug

There are reports of an explosive drone attack on buildings in Riyadh. A large number of the devices were fired by militia on June 22 who were specifically targeting civilians. No new airspace warnings have been issued but the general advice is that there is risk to both over flying and landing aircraft in Saudi Arabia. Further attacks are expected. There is also a danger that these types of devices can be used to target airports, as has happened on several occasions over the past year (OEJD Notam W0438/18 refers).

On June 15 three more rockets landed near Baghdad Airport. Iraqi military reported no damage or casualties, but they subsequently located a number of rocket launchers and ammunition set up on platforms in a rural area near the airport. This has followed a string of similar incidents in the previous week including on June 8 when multiple rockets were fired into the grounds of the airport. (And a correction to our previous alert on Iraq - the FAA prohibits US operators from overflying the Baghdad FIR at any flight level!)

Another aircraft has been shot at in southwest Somalia - this one coming under fire on approach to Qansaxdheere airport. Multiple bullet holes on the cabin and wings, but no casualties - the plane landed and everyone disembarked safely. This follows an incident earlier this month where an aircraft crashed while on approach to Bardale airstrip, in the same region. In that case, the aircraft was mistakenly shot down by Ethiopian forces stationed in the area. It’s not yet clear if this latest incident was another accidental shooting, or an intentional attack carried out by al-Shabab militants - but either way, this region should be avoided.

The Tanzanian military has deployed additional troops at the Mozambique border to boost security amid increased insurgent activity in Cabo Delgado province. In the past month, insurgent activity reportedly killed at least 50 people in this region, with the UN recording at least 28 attacks and over 400 people killed since the start of 2020. The place to avoid is the area around FQMP/Mocimboa Da Praia airport - that’s the bit where the UK FCO advise against all travel. Fun fact about Mozambique - it’s the only country in the world that has an AK-47 assualt rifle depicted on its national flag.

North Korea has fired several missiles towards the Sea of Japan, according to South Korea's military. No-one seems to know for sure if they were ballistic missiles (the ones that go up into space and then back down again, spraying debris all over international airways) or cruise missiles (the ones that fly at low altitudes making them hard to detect). Either way, they’re still launching missiles, and they’re still not providing any warning by Notam, and that = risk. Several countries have warnings in place for North Korean airspace, including the US which prohibits flights across the entire the ZKKP/Pyongyang FIR, including the oceanic part over the Sea of Japan.

The FAA has tonight issued an emergency order banning US operators from overflying Iraq with immediate effect. The KICZ Notam says this is due to heightened militia activities and increased tensions in Iraq, which present a risk to civil aviation operations due to the potential for miscalculation or mis-identification. This announcement comes after US warplanes hit militia weapons storage facilities in southern Iraq in a strike designed to destroy rockets like those fired at US troops earlier this week.

Two suicide bombings outside the US embassy in the Tunisian capital today, killing a policeman and injuring several others. Tunisia has suffered a spate of terrorist attacks in recent years, as its porous borders with Algeria and Libya have allowed militants to leave and return, but this is the most serious incident in the past few months. A state of emergency is in effect in Tunisia, imposed after a suicide attack on a police bus in Nov 2015. It’s been extended a number of times, most recently in Jan effective through 29 April 2020.

The US has upgraded its travel advisory for Haiti to the highest level - Do Not Travel. The updated advisory reads as follows - “Violent crime, such as armed robbery and carjacking, is common. Kidnapping is widespread. Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning or take advantage of unplanned opportunities. Victims have included U.S. citizens. Demonstrations, tire burning, and roadblocks are frequent, unpredictable, and can turn violent. Local police may lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. Emergency response, including ambulance service, is limited or non-existent. Travelers are sometimes followed and violently attacked and robbed shortly after leaving the Port-au-Prince international airport. The U.S. Embassy requires its personnel to use official transportation to and from the airport. Robbers and carjackers have attacked private vehicles stuck in heavy traffic congestion and often target lone drivers, particularly women driving alone.”

Another near-miss in Syria last night. Two civilian planes bound for Qatar reportedly had to change course to avoid getting hit by Syrian air defense missiles which were repelling an attack by Israeli fighter jets. These incidents seem to be on the rise - Israel targets Syria with missiles, Syria fires its own missiles to stop them, and civilian aircraft get caught in the cross-fire. Russia actually accuses the Israeli military of intentionally putting flights like this at risk, by using them as a “shield” for their missile strikes on targets in Syria.

On Mar 2, North Korea launched two missiles into the Sea of Japan - the country’s first weapons test in three months. As usual, they didn’t publish a Notam to warn anyone about it in advance. The South Koreans are saying the missiles travelled around 150 nm, and landed outside of Japanese waters. The US prohibits flights across all North Korean airspace, including the oceanic part of the ZKKP/Pyongyang FIR over the Sea of Japan. Germany, France and the UK also caution against flying through North Korean airspace.

The US FAA have now issued an updated Background Notice to go along with the new Notam they published yesterday, advising that US operators are now permitted to overfly Iraq at FL320 or above. They say there has been a de-escalation in military activity and diminishing political tensions in the region, but there’s still a risk at the lower flight levels from armed militias who are likely responsible for multiple recent attacks on US armed forces in Iraq, as well as rocket attacks targeting the US Embassy and ORBI/Baghdad International Airport.

On Feb 21, Saudi air defenses intercepted multiple missiles that were targeting cities within the country. The state news agency says the missiles were fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels from the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. There have been several ground to ground missile attacks from Yemen into Saudi Arabia over the past few years. This is another reminder that with the overall increase in missile activity in this region, there remains a clear risk to operations in Saudi airspace - even outside the SCATANA area.

The US Embassy in Lome has issued a security advisory regarding the Togolese presidential election scheduled for Sat Feb 22. Togo's land borders with neighbouring countries - Benin, Ghana, and Burkina Faso - will be closed that day. Long-standing President Gnassingbe is widely expected to win the election (having seen off a wave of anti-government protests in 2017-18), but a heightened security presence is expected across the country over the next few days to deal with any potential protests that might crop up.

British airline TUI resumed flights to Sharm El Sheikh on Feb 16, and other operators and airlines are expected to resume flights here in the coming months. The UK Government lifted the ban on flights here back in Oct 2019, four years after imposing the restriction. Flights to the airport were stopped in Nov 2015 after the bombing of a Russian airliner, linked to the Islamic State group. The UK now says that security in the region has sufficiently improved to allow flights to resume, and the only bit of airspace to watch out for in Egypt is the northern Sinai region - where overflights should be above 25,000ft AGL.

The FAA has downgraded its airspace warning for the overwater airspace in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. They previously said that US operators should avoid this airspace except when flying to/from the main airports in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia. The new guidance now just advises caution in this region, and recommends to avoid the airways nearest to the OIIX/Tehran FIR whenever possible, to reduce the risk of miscalculation or misidentification by air defence systems (remember, the US ban on Iran overflights is still in place). The crucial change with this new warning is that overflights in this region are now permitted - so for US operators wanting to transit the OKAC/Kuwait, OBBB/Bahrain, OMAE/Emirates and OOMM/Muscat FIRs, you can now do so.

The Notams say that ILS is installed and operational - but in reality, it’s not working. This becomes big problem in the winter months, when the airport suffers from seasonal haze. Several airlines were forced to cancel flights last week, and more of these are expected between now and March - which is normally when the weather starts to improve. We’ve had reports from members saying that ILS CAT III on RWY 18R is installed but still not yet calibrated; ILS CAT I / II on RWY 18L is installed and operational but LOC only.

On Jan 9, following the shoot-down of UIA flight 752 in Tehran, France issued an emergency Notam advising French operators to avoid the airspace of Iran and Iraq. Today, Feb 12, they have issued a new Notam extending the warning for Iran until Feb 27, but it looks like the warning for Iraq will not get renewed (in which case, the French advice for Iraq will revert back to that contained in AIC 03/19, which says that overflights should be at or above FL320, and only on certain airways). More info at SafeAirspace.net

IFALPA issued a Safety Bulletin on Feb 6 regarding the state of the runway at Auckland. The airport only has one runway, 23L/05R, which has deteriorated over the years. There have been several short notice unplanned runway closures recently, including one on Jan 24 which resulted in the runway being closed for 40 minutes and forcing 9 flights to divert. There's some maintenance work planned later this year, but until then, the advice is to carry extra holding fuel in case of any more short notice closures.

In the early hours of Feb 6, a commercial A320 flight en-route to Damascus was forced to divert to Russia-controlled Khmeimim air base after coming under fire from Syrian air defences. Damascus ATC instructed the plane to divert, as the Syrian air defence systems engaged four Israeli F-16s, and the civilian aircraft found itself in the crossfire. Russia has accused the Israeli military of putting commercial flights like this at risk in the past, by timing their airstrikes on Syria too close to flights arriving at Beirut and Damascus airports. There are multiple airspace warnings in place for Syria, including a total flight ban by the US FAA. Almost no traffic overflies Syria, and it should be avoided.

Germany has issued a new Notam with a warning for Saudi airspace, replacing their previous one which lapsed on 4 Jan 2020. The specific area of concern remains the same: the southwest part of the OEJD/Jeddah FIR along the border with Yemen, covering multiple airports: OENG/Nejran, OEGN/Gizan, OEAB/Abha, OEBH/Bisha, OEBA/Al Baha, OWED/Wadi Al-Dawasir and OESH/Sharurah. The crucial change is that the old warning prohibited German operators from flying here, whereas the new warning only cautions against it.

At least 15 abductions have already been reported in Haiti in 2020, according to a national police report on Jan 22. Foreigners have been among those targeted during a spike in armed robberies, carjackings and kidnappings. Haitian authorities plan to increase security and police operations and checkpoints in response – especially during Carnival festivities until Feb 16. Both the US and UK continue to advise against travel to Haiti due to the current unstable security situation associated with political unrest.

Mystery surrounds an aircraft that crashed in Afghanistan this morning, in a mountainous region south of Kabul that’s partly controlled by the Taliban. It was initially reported to be a B737-400 thought to be operated by Ariana Airlines, but the airline has dismissed the claim, saying all its planes are accounted for. Other sources are reporting that Taliban outlets are claiming a US aircraft was shot down in the area. Multiple countries have long-standing airspace warnings in place for Afghanistan, citing the risk posed by overflying the country at the lower levels due to rocket and mortar fire from militant attacks.

HLLM/Mitiga airport closed on Jan 22 after rockets were fired at it. The airport had only reopened on Jan 14 after months of closure following repeated air strikes connected with the ongoing civil war in Libya. This is an active war zone, and there is a very real chance that they will shoot down civil aircraft attempting to fly to HLLM/Mitiga airport. Multiple countries have long-standing warnings and prohibitions on flights in Libyan airspace - risk remains high across Libya at all flight levels, and avoidance of all airspace and airports is strongly recommended.

Several major airports around the world are now screening passengers on flights inbound from Wuhan, concerned about the spread of China’s coronavirus. The new virus has killed 17 and infected nearly 500 people, with confirmed cases in multiple countries including Japan and the US. Chinese officials are imposing restrictions on travel out of Wuhan, and the World Health Organization is holding a meeting today to discuss whether to declare the outbreak an international health emergency, which would escalate the global response. ZHHH looks like one to avoid for the time being.

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