Germany to partially close airspace during NATO drills

German airspace will be partially closed at the beginning of the summer in connection with large-scale NATO military exercises, dubbed "Air Defender", which will be held from June 12-23.

The statement came from the Director General of the Federal Association of the Aviation Industry of Germany Matthias von Randow on March 31, TASS reports.

“According to the current plans of NATO and the Air Force [of Germany], German airspace will be partially closed,” said von Randow.

At the same time, he warned that passengers would have to face serious problems with air traffic. However, the impact of "Air Defender" exercises on already congested German airspace, he said, should be reduced. To this end, the relevant ministries and the German air traffic control will be in close contact.

Experts predict that certain parts of German airspace will be blocked for several hours. Airlines, they say, are likely to seek first and foremost to continue to be able to operate flights that bring in the most profit, in particular transatlantic ones.

"Air Defender-2023" is a two-week exercise. The German Air Force plans to use all available national military airfields in the exercises to fulfil the role of a "strategic centre of collective defence." The airspaces and airfields of some partner countries will also be used as part of the drills.