A no-fly zone (or no-flight zone) is a territory over an area which aircraft are not permitted to fly. Such zones are usually set up in a military context, somewhat like a demilitarized zone in the sky, and usually prohibit military aircraft of a belligerent nation from operating in the region.

Past no-fly zones

Iraq, 1991–2003

In 1991, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Turkey and other states intervened in Kurdish-Iraqi dispute in northern Iraq by establishing a no-fly zone in which Iraqi aircraft were prevented from flying. The intent of the no-fly zone was to prevent possible bombing and chemical attacks against the Kurdish people by the Iraqi regime. The initial operations were dubbed Operation Provide Comfort and Operation Provide Comfort II and were followed by Operation Northern Watch. While the enforcing powers had cited United Nations Security Council Resolution 688 as authorising the operations, the resolution contains no explicit authorization. The Secretary-General of the UN at the time the resolution was passed, Boutros Boutros-Ghali called the no-fly zones "illegal" in a February 2003 interview with John Pilger. In southern Iraq, Operation Southern Watch was established in 1992 to protect Iraq's Shia population. It originally extended to the 32nd parallel but was extended to the 33rd parallel in 1996.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1993–1995

In 1992, the United Nations Security Council passed United Nations Security Council Resolution 781, prohibiting unauthorized military flights in Bosnian airspace. This led to Operation Sky Monitor, where NATO monitored violations of the no-fly zone but did not take action against violators of the resolution. In response to 500 documented violations by 1993, including one combat violation, the Security Council passed Resolution 816, which prohibited all unauthorized flights and allowed all UN member states to "take all necessary measures...to ensure compliance with [the no-fly zone restrictions]." This led to Operation Deny Flight. NATO later launched air strikes during Operation Deny Flight and during Operation Deliberate Force.

Lessons from Iraq and Bosnia

A 2004 Stanford University paper published in The Journal of Strategic Studies, “Lessons from Iraq and Bosnia on the Theory and Practice of No-fly Zones,” reviewed the effectiveness of the air-based campaigns in achieving military objectives. The paper's findings were: 1) A clear, unified command structure is essential. In Bosnia, during “Operation Deny Flight,” a confusing dual-key coordination structure provided inadequate authority and resulted in air forces not being given authority to assist in key situations; 2) To avoid a “perpetual patrol problem," states must know in advance their policy objectives and the exit strategy for no-fly zones; 3) The effectiveness of no-fly zones is highly dependent on regional support. A lack of support from Turkey for the 1996 Iraq no-fly zone ultimately constrained the coalition’s ability to effectively enforce it.

No-fly zones as of March 2011

Australia

The Pine Gap Joint Defence Space Research Facility near Alice Springs is a permanent No-Fly Zone and only authorized military aircraft may approach and enter this area.

Cuba

Unscheduled foreign aircraft are prohibited from entering or encroaching Cuban airspace including disputed international water zones except when permission has been explicitly given by the Cuban Government. The Cuban military has been known to shoot down and destroy unauthorized aircraft without warning including a 1996 incident in which two U.S.-registered aircraft were shot down and destroyed by Cuban Air Force MiGs.

India

The Taj Mahal, Agra, State of Uttar Pradesh, India

Parliament Building, Prime Minister's residence, and other important centers in New Delhi.

The airspace around many Defence and Indian Air Force bases are restricted, although new proposals are suggesting opening them up for civilian aircraft.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.

The Tower of Silence, Mumbai.

Mathura Refinery

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

Israel

Negev Nuclear Research Center

Sdot Micha Airbase

Temple Mount

Libya

In response to violence by the government of Muammar al-Gaddafi during the 2011 Libyan uprising, the United Nations approved a no-fly zone on March 17, 2011. The resolution includes provisions for further actions to prevent attacks on civilian targets.

Pakistan

Islamabad – The no-fly zone is specifically along Constitution Avenue in North-east Islamabad, where many important government buildings are located:

* The Parliament Building

* The Presidency (Residence of the President)

* The Prime Minister's Residence

* The Prime Minister's Secretariat

* The Supreme Court

Kahuta

* Kahuta Research Laboratories, Pakistan's main facility for the development of nuclear weapons

Khushab

* Khushab Nuclear Complex

Peru

Machu Picchu

Russian Federation

City of Moscow — technically, it is just a "P" (i.e. Prohibited) airspace (according to international classification and aeronavigational maps). Many flights are being regularly routed through the outer regions of this airspace.

Sri Lanka

According to Air Navigation (Air Defence) Regulations (No: 1 of 2007) by which skies over territory and the territorial waters of Sri Lanka (except Ruhuna Open Skies Area) has been declared an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) with Prohibited Areas and Restricted Areas within it. No aircraft may operate in prohibited areas and in restricted areas flight or aircraft will be allowed to operate without valid Air Defence Clearance (ADC) from the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).

;Prohibited Areas

Colombo City

;Restricted Areas

Sri Lanka Air Force bases SLAF Anuradhapura, SLAF Minneriya, SLAF Vavuniya, SLAF Palaly and SLAF Sigiriya (5 nautical miles)

Jaffna town (5 nautical miles)

Trincomalee harbour (5 nautical miles)

SLAF China Bay (10 nautical miles)

The garrison town of Diyatalawa (2 nautical miles)

Temple of the Tooth, Kandy (6 nautical miles)

Home of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Tangalle (5 nautical miles)

Taiwan

The area around the Presidential Hall (總統府), Taipei 101, Taipei.

Parts of the Taiwan Strait

United Kingdom

Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, Berkshire (nearest town is Tadley, Hampshire)

Buckingham Palace, the residence of the Queen and members of the Royal Family.

Flights over Whitehall need extensive clearance.

Royal palaces and politicians' houses and retreats when royals/diplomats are in residence.

Some Royal Air Force bases and naval installations.

United States

Prohibited Areas

In the United States, the phrase "no-fly zone" has no legal meaning. What most people would consider a "no-fly zone" is termed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) a "Prohibited Area". Prohibited Areas are permanent until canceled and are published in the Federal Register and at http://sua.faa.gov, and are depicted by blue hashed boundaries on aeronautical charts.

Active Prohibited Areas:

Thurmont, Maryland, site of Presidential retreat Camp David (Prohibited Area 40 or P-40)

Amarillo, Texas, Pantex nuclear assembly plant (P-47)

Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia (P-50)

Naval Base Kitsap, Washington (P-51)

Washington, D.C., Capitol and White House (P-56); see other restrictions for information about all Active Prohibited Areas in the Washington D.C./Baltimore Flight Restricted Zone.

Bush compound near Kennebunkport, Maine (P-67)

Mount Vernon, Virginia, home of George Washington (to prevent vibrations) (P-73)

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota (P-204, 205, and 206)

Merritt Island, Florida. All civilian flight operations in and around the island are prohibited due to NASA and U.S. military operations at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Temporary Flight Restrictions

The FAA may also issue Temporary Flight Restrictions, or TFRs, which are similar to Prohibited Areas but which are typically effective for a few days or weeks, versus the essentially permanent nature of a Prohibited Area. For example, a TFR is typically issued to prohibit flights near the President's destination when he travels outside Washington. TFRs are also issued to ensure a safe environment for firefighting operations in the case of wildfires and for other reasons as necessary. A TFR was quickly issued around the crash site of Cory Lidle's airplane in New York City. Later, a broader TFR was issued to require pilots traveling over the East River to obtain air traffic control clearance.

TFRs are issued by Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), and are available at http://tfr.faa.gov or by calling a Flight Service Station.

There are active TFRs that have been effective since 2003 over Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and an indirect TFR that prohibits flight below 3000' above ground level, and within a 3 nautical mile (5.5 km) radius of a stadium having a seating capacity of 30,000 or more "in which a major league baseball, national football league, NCAA division one football, major motor speedway event, or a WrestleMania event is occurring" from one hour before to one hour after the event, with exceptions for essentially anyone connected with the event sponsor.

Disneyland Resort, in Anaheim, California

Walt Disney World Resort, in Central Florida (near Orlando). The zone extends to in a radius centered from the Main Spire of Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom Theme Park. Though implemented for security according to the FAA, the decision has been controversial. In 2003, a conservative Christian group filed a lawsuit claiming that the ruling infringed on its First Amendment right to fly banners to proselytize to visitors during the unofficial Gay Days at Walt Disney World.

Aviation groups have questioned whether these last TFRs really serve a public need, or the needs of politically connected venue operators.

Other restrictions

In addition to areas completely off limits to civil aviation, a variety of other airspace restrictions exist in the United States. Some notable ones include the Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ) encompassing all airspace up to within approximately of Ronald Reagan National Airport around Washington, D.C. Flights within this airspace, while not entirely prohibited, are highly restricted. All pilots flying within the FRZ are required to undergo a background check and fingerprinting. An additional area encompassing most of the Baltimore-Washington D.C. metropolitan area requires the filing of a flight plan and communication with air traffic control.

See also

Air supremacy

List of airliner shootdown incidents

Notes

References

Wheeler, Nicholas J. (2000) ''Saving Strangers – Humanitarian Intervention in International Society''. Oxford University Press (Oxford, England). ISBN 978-0-198-29621-8.

Category:Air traffic control Category:Aviation law *

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