For almost two weeks, military aircraft from 25 countries will conduct major exercises in German airspace. This has implications for civil air traffic.
Air Defender: Airports expect obstacles
The international air force exercise “Air Defender” will affect civilian air traffic at Bavarian airports next week – but the exact extent is not yet clear. According to the Munich and Nuremberg airports, no flight cancellations are foreseen at the moment. However, according to both airports, delays are possible.
The German Air Force is the main organizer of the exercises, which are scheduled for the period from 12 to 23 June. While not officially a NATO exercise, Air Defender is, according to the Air Force, “the largest air force deployment exercise since the founding of the defense alliance.” They want to take part in 25 countries with 250 aircraft. The scenario of the exercise is modeled on the NATO state of emergency, in which the armed forces of allied states come to the aid of a member country in the event of a military attack.
“According to the plans of the Bundeswehr and German air traffic control, there will be spatially and temporally limited closures in German airspace,” a spokesman for Munich Airport said. “As a result, there will be interruptions in civil air traffic during the specified period during the major Air Defender exercises.” There may be delays, he said. It is impossible to make an accurate forecast at the moment. The ban on night flights in Munich has not been lifted, but airlines can apply for an exemption. However, military aircraft should not fly at night or on weekends anyway.
“With regard to the situation in Nuremberg, we can say that our airspace is not affected by the exercises, and at the moment we do not expect any flight cancellations,” the spokesman explained. “However, individual delays are possible; this cannot be assessed more precisely at the moment.”
The Air Force has reserved three air areas for the exercise – over the North Sea, in eastern Germany and in the South German corridor stretching from Swabia to Rhineland-Palatinate, where training will take place from 13:00 to 17:00 every day. One of the main bases is Lechfeld Air Base south of Augsburg. The consequences of this maneuver will also be felt by many passengers who do not take off or land in Germany in the form of longer flight times. To free up German airspace, European air traffic control wants to divert numerous planes that would otherwise pass through Germany.
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Top photo: Julia Cebella/dpa/Symbolbild
