Notable Historical FAA SFARs — Airspace Prohibitions
Reference list of notable Federal Aviation Administration Special Federal Aviation Regulations (SFARs) covering international airspace prohibitions and operational restrictions. The FAA maintains the authoritative current list at faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/us_restrictions; this page summarises selected entries and supersession history. Non-airspace SFARs (aircraft type rules, certification matters, etc.) are outside the scope of this dataset.
Selected Airspace SFARs
| SFAR | Coverage | FIR / Region | Status (Apr 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFAR 77 | Iraqi airspace prohibition with carve-outs for Erbil ORER and Sulaymaniyah ORSU | ORBB | Active |
| SFAR 113 | Dnipro FIR (Ukraine, eastern portion) — superseded by NOTAM KICZ A0004/22 | UKDV | Withdrawn October 2023 |
| SFAR 115 | Sanaa FIR prohibition (Yemen) | OYSC | Active |
| SFAR 117 | Tehran FIR prohibition (extended Iranian-airspace prohibition) | OIIX | Active 31 Oct 2024 – 31 Oct 2027 |
List is illustrative of the airspace-prohibition SFAR pattern, not exhaustive. The FAA Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices page is the authoritative current source. SFAR numbers and coverage are subject to amendment, supersession, or withdrawal at any time.
Ukraine Airspace — Instrument Evolution
The Ukrainian-airspace prohibition has gone through multiple instruments since February 2022:
- February 2022: FAA NOTAM KICZ A0004/22 issued covering all Ukrainian FIRs and the Kyiv UIR.
- Pre-existing: SFAR 113 covering Dnipro FIR (UKDV) had been in effect.
- October 2023: SFAR 113 was withdrawn; the broader prohibition continues under NOTAM KICZ A0004/22, which remains the operative instrument as of April 2026.
This pattern — a NOTAM as the operative instrument with a previously codified SFAR withdrawn — illustrates that not every long-running airspace prohibition is enforced through a numbered SFAR. NOTAMs are operationally binding within the issuing authority\'s jurisdiction.
How to Look Up a Specific SFAR
- FAA Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices: faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/us_restrictions for currently active prohibitions.
- 14 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations), Part 91 (and others): the codified text of currently active SFARs.
- Federal Register: each SFAR has a publication record (issuance, amendments, withdrawal). Search by SFAR number on federalregister.gov.
- FAA Office of Overseas Flight Prohibitions:
[email protected]for SFAR exemption queries.
Related
FAA SFARs Reference — FAQ
Common search queries answered with current status, FIR codes, and source citations.
- What is the difference between an active and a withdrawn SFAR?
- An active SFAR is currently in effect and binding on US-registered operators. A withdrawn SFAR has been formally rescinded by the FAA, typically through publication in the Federal Register. Withdrawn SFARs may have been superseded by a new SFAR with a different number, or the underlying conditions may have resolved. The FAA Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices page lists currently active items.
- Where are SFAR numbers tracked?
- SFARs are issued in a single sequential numbering sequence across all subject areas, codified in 14 CFR (commonly Part 91 for airspace prohibitions). Each SFAR has a Federal Register publication record. The FAA also publishes a curated list of currently active prohibitions at faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/us_restrictions.
- Why was SFAR 113 withdrawn?
- SFAR 113 covered specific portions of Ukrainian airspace (notably the Dnipro FIR UKDV). It was withdrawn in October 2023 with the broader Ukrainian-airspace prohibition continuing under the FAA NOTAM KICZ A0004/22, which covers all Ukrainian FIRs. The withdrawal reflected administrative consolidation rather than reopening of the underlying airspace.
- Are all SFARs about airspace prohibitions?
- No. SFARs cover a wide range of subjects beyond airspace prohibitions, including operational rules for specific aircraft types, certification matters, and temporary regulatory exceptions. The list on this page focuses on SFARs covering international airspace prohibitions and operational restrictions; non-airspace SFARs are outside its scope.
FlySafe provides automated computation of numerical indices from publicly available data. The FAA Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices page is the authoritative current source. Reuse permitted under CC-BY 4.0 with attribution. See Terms of Service.