Airspace Closure Explainer Map: Closed Skies and Detours

WarBrief Live | Tools | Data last updated: November 16, 2026

When a war starts, the sky above it closes. Ukraine’s airspace has been shut since February 2022, Sudan’s since April 2023, Indian aircraft barred from Pakistani skies since April 2025. On any flight tracker: Europe–Asia flights bend south around Russia, Delhi–London swings through Iran, London–Nairobi skirts Sudan. This tool maps every major closure, explains the rule behind it, and prices the detour.

What an airspace closure actually is

The sky is divided into flight information regions, each run by one country’s control. A closure is a NOTAM — a Notice to Airmen — saying a region, route or altitude band is unavailable. Sometimes the whole region closes, as Ukraine did on 24 February 2022. Sometimes it targets one country’s aircraft, as Pakistan’s ban on Indian aircraft does. Sometimes only a warning — and airlines stay away anyway.

Who decides: NOTAMs, EASA bulletins and FAA rules

Three instruments do the work. A NOTAM is issued by the state controlling the airspace and is binding. An EASA Conflict Zone Information Bulletin is a safety recommendation to European operators — but airlines treat it as binding. A US FAA Special Federal Aviation Regulation binds American operators: the FAA bars US carriers from most of Yemen’s airspace and from Libyan airspace entirely. Above these sit bans between states: the EU’s ban on Russian airlines, and Russia’s ban on 36 countries’ airlines in return.

The closed skies of November 2026

Four regions are effectively closed today. Ukraine has been shut since the invasion began, its EASA bulletin running to 31 January 2027. Sudan’s Khartoum region has been shut since April 2023, but EASA still advises against overflying Sudan at any altitude. Yemen’s Sana’a region and Libya’s Tripoli region are both rated do-not-fly. Russia west of 60°E, which EASA says to avoid at all levels, and Pakistan, closed to Indian aircraft until at least 24 November 2026 under a NOTAM extended nineteen times. EASA lists sixteen active bulletins. Israel and Iran have reopened, after closing during their twelve-day war in June 2025.

Why airlines treat advice as a ban

Two disasters explain it. In July 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people — a civil aircraft in airspace that was open but dangerous. In January 2020, Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 was shot down after take-off from Tehran, killing 176 people, misidentified amid military alerts. The lesson is misidentification: why a bulletin that only “recommends” avoiding an area is treated as a ban.

What the detours cost

A Europe to East Asia flight that once crossed Siberia now detours through the Caucasus and Central Asia, adding two to three and a half hours; Helsinki to Tokyo now takes about thirteen hours over the North Pole, against nine and a half before. Traffic over Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia has more than doubled since 2022; EUROCONTROL estimates rerouting adds about 206,000 kilometres of flying a day across Europe. The India–Pakistan closure: about 800 weekly flights affected and Air India putting its annual cost at roughly $455 million.

How to check before you fly

Start with the airline: a sudden jump of two hours in the scheduled flight time on a familiar route usually means a detour. For the rules, read the current EASA bulletin list and the route’s NOTAMs; both are public. Live trackers such as Flightradar24 and ADS-B Exchange show the route actually flown. Status changes fast: Israel and Iran went from open to closed to open inside twelve days in June 2025.

Read next

Fuel and freight: Oil Price to Fuel Cost Calculator and Shipping Route Comparison Tool. The forces: the Defense Budget Comparison Tool and Military Strength Comparison Tool. The measures: our Sanctions Explorer. Deadlines: World Time & Conflict Zone Clock. Background: airspace closures explainer, war risk insurance explainer and how war affects oil prices. Live tracking: Flightradar24 and ADS-B Exchange. Follow the wars: conflict zones hub, intel hub and tools collection.

Sources

• EASA bulletins (valid to 31 Jan 2027): Ukraine CZIB 2022-01 R14, Russia bulletin, Sudan CZIB-2023-01R8.
• Safe Airspace (Nov 2026): Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, Libya pages and NOTAM references.
• OPSGROUP: reciprocal bans, Belarus closure, Rostov and Moscow FIR restrictions.
• Pakistan NOTAM A0590 (Oct–Nov 2026): ban to 24 November 2026; ~800 weekly flights; Air India ~$455m a year.
• Israel Airports Authority, AFP (24 June 2025): Ben Gurion resumed full operations; Iranian airspace reopened.
• EUROCONTROL, IATA (2026): ~206,000 extra km a day; South Caucasus traffic more than doubled.
• MH17 (July 2014, 298 people) and UIA752 (January 2020, 176 people): official investigation records.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ukraine’s airspace still closed?
Yes — since 24 February 2022. EASA’s bulletin runs to 31 January 2027.

Can I still fly from Europe to Asia?
Yes, it takes longer: carriers detour via the Caucasus and Central Asia, adding two to three and a half hours.

What is the difference between a NOTAM and an EASA bulletin?
A NOTAM is issued by the state controlling the airspace and is binding. An EASA bulletin is a recommendation, but airlines treat it as binding.

Is it safe to fly to Israel now?
Israeli airspace reopened on 24 June 2025, when Ben Gurion resumed full operations. Check current advisories before booking.

How do I check whether my flight crosses a closed zone?
Compare the scheduled time with the pre-closure norm, read the EASA list and the route’s NOTAMs, and check the route flown on Flightradar24.