Hundreds of flights could be delayed due to the closure of NATO airspace

A massive NATO maneuver over European airspace could cause flight delays for several days this month.

The multinational military coalition is preparing for its largest air exercise to date from 12-22 June.

The exercise “Air Defender 2023”, as it is called, will take place over German airspace and will involve 10,000 military personnel and 250 combat aircraft from 25 countries, including the United States of America.

“I know there may be restrictions in civil aviation traffic,” says Ingo Gerhartz, Luftwaffe lieutenant and inspector in charge of the exercise.

But, the Air Chief adds, “when I see the proportion, ten days out of 365, that at the end of the day we can still live in peace and liberty in this country, I think that is the right signal that we’re going to have to send.”

Here you can find out what maneuvers can mean for your summer commute and beyond.

Where will airspace be closed?

As part of Air Defender 2023, large portions of airspace will be closed to civilian air traffic – primarily, but not exclusively, over Germany. Commercial pilots will need to navigate around three main “groups.”

• In the north that extends into Danish and Dutch airspace
• In the east near the Polish and Czech borders
• In the south, from Luxembourg along the French border, almost to Lake Constance in Switzerland

Each of these areas will be closed or severely restricted to civilian air traffic for several hours each day, with exercise pausing over the weekend of June 16-17.

The southern group will have a particularly strong impact on many holiday trips from the UK, travel expert Simon Calder reports in UK newspaper The Independent.

He says that flights departing from London to Antalya in Turkey usually pass through this particular area, as do planes from Manchester to the Greek islands.

Which airports and airlines are affected?

Of the 800 trips to be diverted, about 300 will have their routes lengthened by an average of 110 kilometres, meaning around seven minutes of flight time at normal cruising speeds.

This may not seem like much, but given the dense network of flights across Europe, it could have a significant impact.

The busiest airports, such as London Heathrow and Gatwick, will have the most trouble scheduling flights. Due to crew hours and the prohibition on overnight flights, not all delays can be accommodated.

Delays can add up faster for low-cost airlines like Ryanair, with some planes arriving and departing in as little as 30 minutes.

However, Gatwick’s largest airline EasyJet reassured its passengers that “the impact on operations will be minimal”.

Lufthansa’s main hub in Frankfurt will also be affected by the closure of the southern airspace.

What is the subject of NATO exercise?

“This exercise is not directed against anyone,” says Lieutenant General Gerharts. “It is a defensive maneuver intended to show that the Alliance is capable of defending itself if necessary.”

The Air Force maneuvers are based on a “NATO Article 5 Support Scenario”, i.e. a situation in which a NATO Ally is attacked by force of arms.

For example, if Russia attacks a Baltic country like Estonia, “NATO will take such action as it deems necessary to support the ally under attack.”

Gerhartz added that the training is scheduled to be completed before the start of the summer vacation in Germany.