On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) announced that, at the request of the Armed Forces Operational Command and due to the need to ensure state security, an air traffic restriction will be introduced in eastern Poland in the form of restricted area EP R131. It will be in effect from June 10, 2026, at 00:00 UTC until September 9, 2026, at 23:59 UTC. The area will cover airspace from ground level to FL95, or, in simplified terms, up to an altitude of around 3 km. It therefore does not apply to passenger aircraft operating at higher altitudes. The restriction replaces the currently applicable EP R130 area and is, in practice, its continuation.
Map: PANSA
From sunset to sunrise, at night, a total flight ban will apply in the EP R131 area. It will not apply to military aircraft or to take-offs and landings from Depułtycze Królewskie airfield (EPCD) coordinated with the Air Operations Center – Air Component Command (COP-DKP). During this time, EP R131 airspace will be unclassified.
From sunrise to sunset, during the day, a flight ban will apply, with the exception of the military aircraft mentioned above and:
- Manned aircraft operating after filing a flight plan, equipped with an operational SSR transponder operating in Mode A and C, or in Mode S, maintaining continuous air-ground radio watch with the relevant ATS authority and, if necessary, establishing two-way communication on the appropriate channel of the relevant ATS authority;
- Flights conducted under the code words GARDA and ALPHA SCRAMBLE;
- Flights with HEAD, STATE, SAR, HOSP, MEDEVAC or FFR status;
- Civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operating without violating the Belarus ADIZ and Ukraine ADIZ, or air defense identification zones.
After coordination with the Operational Duty Service of the Air Operations Center – Air Component Command (DSO COP-DKP), flights that do not meet the above criteria may be permitted, including:
- State aviation and air ambulance flights;
- Flights conducted to provide assistance in cases involving threats to the life or health of people or animals, including in particular during natural disasters, catastrophes, environmental threats or emergencies;
- Flights related to the protection and inspection of critical infrastructure;
- Flights in special TRA areas designated after consultation with the Operational Duty Service of COP-DKP, under agreed rules and conditions.
The area will be active 24 hours a day. Depending on the location, it will extend from around 20 to around 50 km into Polish territory. PANSA reminds operators that entry into an active restricted area by aircraft that do not meet the exemption criteria constitutes a violation of the Aviation Law.
The restriction has been introduced due to the need to ensure state security, in accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure of January 18, 2019, on flight restrictions for a period not exceeding three months.
Aviation activity without RMZ (Radio Mandatory Zone), TMZ (Transponder Mandatory Zone) and flight plan (FPL) filing requirements, apart from the exemptions, will be possible only in designated special TRA areas. Requests for the designation of such areas should be submitted to PANSA and will be forwarded to the military side, which will analyze the possibility of separating an area in a given location. Due to limitations in designating and managing such areas, which in this region are affected by military activity conducted to ensure state security, interested entities are encouraged to cooperate with one another and request shared airspace for several entities, limited to the amount necessary to conduct their flight operations.
Each entity submitting a request must meet the necessary conditions:
- For the entire period of the area’s activity, the entity managing the area must ensure the availability on the ground of a flight coordinator who: will remain available at a specified telephone number at all times;
- will be able to contact each pilot flying in the area by radio or telephone;
- in the event of an urgent need to deactivate the area, after receiving a phone call, will be able to inform each pilot flying in the area of the need to land within a maximum of 25 minutes. From the moment the call on the need to deactivate the area is received, all aircraft flying in the area must land.
Failure to meet any of these conditions automatically rules out the possibility of obtaining a positive decision on the establishment of the area.
The restriction was published in NOTAM D3873/264/26 and N3873/26.
The previous EP R129 restriction was introduced on September 10, 2025, following the incursion into Poland of Russian Gerbera drones. It was originally due to expire on December 9, but was extended until March 9, 2026. It was then followed by the EP R130 restriction, which will expire on June 10.
Na wniosek @DowOperSZ, ze względu na konieczność zapewnienia bezpieczeństwa państwa, od 10 czerwca 2026 r. do 9 września 2026 r. zostanie wprowadzone ograniczenie ruchu lotniczego we wschodniej części Polski w postaci strefy ograniczonej EP R131.
Więcej: https://t.co/MrcRsEm88I pic.twitter.com/z1R3Q8Ky8r— PANSA (@PANSA_PL) June 3, 2026
