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Quarterly Recap CC-BY 4.0 Updated April 2026
European Airspace Disruption — Q1 2026
Quarterly summary of major airspace disruption events affecting European and Europe-connected commercial aviation during 1 January – 31 March 2026. Each event is sourced to a primary publication. This recap aggregates EUROCONTROL Network Manager publications, EASA bulletins, and national civil aviation authority NOTAMs.
Last verified:14 days agoSources:EUROCONTROL-NETWORK · EASA CZIB · NATIONAL-CAA-NOTAMSNext review:May 26
Major Q1 2026 Events Timeline
| Date / Period | Event | Affected airspace | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | EASA CZIB 2026-01 issued (first Western Hemisphere CZIB) | SVZM (Venezuela) | EASA CZIB portal |
| 16 Jan 2026 | EASA CZIB 2026-02-R1 issued for Iran and neighbouring airspace | OIIX | EASA CZIB 2026-02-R1 |
| Feb 2026 | Major Gulf 12-FIR cascade closure event | Multiple Gulf FIRs | EUROCONTROL Network Manager; national CAAs |
| Q1 2026 | Sustained Baltic and Nordic GPS interference reporting | EFIN / EETT / EVRR / EYVL / EPWW | EUROCONTROL; national CAAs |
| Q1 2026 | Continuous Ukraine FIRs closure (no reopening) | UKLV / UKBV / UKDV / UKFV / UKOV / UKBU | UkSATSE NOTAMs; FAA NOTAM KICZ A0004/22; EASA CZIB 2022-01 |
| Q1 2026 | Continuous Pakistan OPKR/OPLR closure to Indian carriers (since April 2025) | OPKR / OPLR | Pakistan CAA NOTAMs |
| Mar 2026 | Multiple revisions of Middle East / Persian Gulf CZIB 2026-03 | Multi-FIR (Mid-East) | EASA CZIB 2026-03 |
| Mar 2026 | EUROCONTROL Aviation Trends Asia/Pacific evolution publication | Industry-wide | EUROCONTROL Aviation Trends |
Quarter-on-Quarter Themes
- CZIB activity: Q1 saw the first-ever Western Hemisphere CZIB (Venezuela / SVZM) and continued progressive revisions of Middle East / Persian Gulf CZIB 2026-03. Iran-specific CZIB 2026-02-R1 was issued in mid-January.
- GNSS interference: Sustained reports across Baltic and Eastern Mediterranean FIRs, broadly consistent with 2024–2025 baseline. No major step-change in geography.
- Long-running closures: Ukrainian, Sudanese (HSSS), and Pakistani-Indian (OPKR/OPLR) closures persisted without operational reopening signals.
- Drone events: Quieter quarter compared to the late-September 2025 Nordic wave; investigations continued into 2025 events.
- Network management: EUROCONTROL Network Manager continued operational coordination; March 2025 Aviation Trends Asia/Pacific publication was widely cited in industry analysis.
Looking Ahead — Q2 2026 (factors to monitor)
- Whether CZIB 2026-03 (Middle East / Persian Gulf) is revised, superseded, or partially withdrawn.
- Continued GNSS interference reporting in Baltic and Eastern Mediterranean, particularly through summer high-traffic months.
- FAA SFAR 117 (Tehran FIR prohibition) continues until 31 October 2027; no Q2 review expected.
- Any operational reopening signals around Ukrainian, Sudanese, or Pakistani-Indian closures (none currently expected based on public information).
- Renewals of war risk hull insurance contracts at major operators (industry trade press indicates "robust" renewals environment).
Forward-looking items are factors to monitor based on public information and are not predictions. Operational decisions remain the responsibility of operators and aviation authorities.
Sources
- EUROCONTROL Network Manager — operational publications and Aviation Trends series
- EASA Conflict Zones Advisories portal (easa.europa.eu/en/domains/air-operations/czibs)
- FAA Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices (faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/us_restrictions)
- National civil aviation authority NOTAMs from each affected state
- Industry trade press for operational reporting
Related Datasets and Briefings
Q1 2026 Recap — Frequently Asked Questions
Common search queries answered with current status, FIR codes, and source citations.
- What were the main European airspace disruption themes in Q1 2026?
- Three threads dominated Q1 2026: (1) sustained GNSS interference across the Baltic and Eastern Mediterranean; (2) the issuance of EASA CZIB 2026-01 covering Venezuela (the first Western Hemisphere CZIB); (3) the issuance of EASA CZIB 2026-02-R1 covering Iran and neighbouring airspace, with progressive revisions of CZIB 2026-03 covering the Middle East and Persian Gulf. Ukrainian airspace remained closed throughout the quarter.
- Were there major drone-related airport closures in Q1 2026?
- Q1 2026 was relatively quiet for major airport drone closures compared to the late-September 2025 wave at Copenhagen, Oslo, and Aalborg. National civil aviation authorities continued investigating the 2025 events; brief drone-related observations were reported at smaller European airports without major operational impact. Refer to /data/nordic-airport-drone-incidents-2025/ for the 2025 baseline dataset.
- How did GPS interference evolve in Q1 2026?
- GPS interference in the Baltic FIRs (EFIN, EETT, EVRR, EYVL, EPWW) and Eastern Mediterranean (LCCC, LLLL) continued at sustained levels reported throughout 2024–2025. EUROCONTROL Network Manager publications and EASA Safety Information Bulletins on GNSS reporting continued to be updated monthly. No major step-change in interference geography was reported during Q1; the picture is consistent with the country-level dataset on /data/gps-spoofing-incidents-by-country/.
- What new EASA CZIBs were issued or revised in Q1 2026?
- CZIB 2026-01 was issued in January 2026 covering Venezuelan airspace (SVZM) — the first CZIB ever issued for a Western Hemisphere FIR. CZIB 2026-02-R1 was issued on 16 January 2026 covering Iran and neighbouring airspace. CZIB 2026-03 covering the Middle East and Persian Gulf was progressively revised through R6 and beyond during the quarter. The authoritative current list is published on the EASA Conflict Zones Advisories portal (easa.europa.eu/en/domains/air-operations/czibs).
- Were any FIRs reopened or new closures imposed?
- No major FIR-wide reopenings occurred in Q1 2026. The principal closures from prior years remained in effect: UKLV/UKBV/UKDV/UKFV/UKOV/UKBU (Ukraine, since February 2022), HSSS (Sudan, since April 2023), OPKR/OPLR closure to Indian carriers (since April 2025). Q1 saw the addition of CZIB 2026-01 (Venezuela) which is advisory rather than a binding closure, and continued revisions of existing Middle East CZIBs.
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FlySafe provides automated computation of numerical indices from publicly available data. This recap summarises public primary sources for the period 1 January – 31 March 2026. Indices and event summaries are raw computational and editorial output and do not represent opinions, assessments, recommendations, or advice. Reuse permitted under CC-BY 4.0 with attribution. See Terms of Service.