A no-fly zone is a territory over 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.

Northern Iraq 1992-2003

In 1992, The United Kingdom and the United 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. 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 later interview with John Pilger.

Current No-Fly zones

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 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)
• Crawford, Texas, Ranch of George W. Bush (P-49)
• Washington, D.C., National Mall area around White House, U.S. Capitol (P-56A)
• Washington, D.C., U.S. Naval Observatory, the home of the Vice President of the United States (P-56B)
• Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia (P-50)
• Naval Base Kitsap, Washington (P-51)
• 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)

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 three nautical mile 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, or major motor speedway event is occurring" from one hour before to one hour after the event, with exceptions for essentially anyone connected with the event sponsor.

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.

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 , Bombay.
• Buvneshwar.
• Mathura

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

Peru

• Machu Picchu

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 a 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 CityRestricted 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)
• Dalada Maligawa, Kandy (6 nautical miles)
• Home of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Tangalle (5 nautical miles)

Taiwan

• The area around the President Hall (總統府), Taipei 101, Taipei.
• Part area of Taiwan Strait

United Kingdom

• Buckingham Palace
• 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.

References

*

• Wheeler.N, Saving Strangers, 2000, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.