Germany to restrict flights around World Cup stadiums
Germany will restrict flights around World Cup stadiums during the soccer tournament in June and July, the national air traffic control agency said today.
The agency said the restrictions would apply to aircraft using visual flight rules, largely helicopters and small, privately-operated planes, in which pilots control the aircraft by relying on what they can see outside.
On match days, private planes will be banned from a three-nautical-mile radius around stadiums, with the ban starting three hours before kick-off and ending three hours after matches finish.
Police, military and rescue aircraft will be exempted.
Wider 30-nautical-mile exclusion zones can be activated at short notice “if the security situation requires”, an air-traffic-control statement said.
World Cup matches will be staged at 12 stadiums across Germany. The tournament begins on June 9 and ends on July 9.
