Russia bans civilian flights below 5,100 meters in Moscow air zone from June

Russia is set to prohibit civilian aircraft from flying below 5,100 meters in the Moscow air zone starting in early June. The restriction was reported by the Interregional Public Organization of Pilots and Aircraft Owners (AOPA) via Telegram. The move is widely seen as a security measure amid ongoing drone and air threats.

Russia will ban civilian flights below 5,100 meters (approximately 16,700 feet) in the Moscow air zone beginning in early June, according to information shared by the Interregional Public Organization of Pilots and Aircraft Owners (AOPA) on their Telegram channel.

The restriction represents a significant tightening of airspace rules around the Russian capital. Flying below that altitude in the Moscow zone will be off-limits for civilian aircraft, a measure that analysts believe is tied to increasing drone and aerial threat concerns that have intensified since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

The AOPA, which represents pilots and aircraft owners across Russia, published the notice without providing detailed justification for the new altitude floor. However, Moscow and surrounding regions have experienced repeated drone incidents in recent years, prompting authorities to take defensive steps that increasingly affect civilian aviation.

The new rule is expected to have practical consequences for general aviation and smaller aircraft that typically operate at lower altitudes near major urban areas. Commercial airline traffic flying into and out of Moscow's major airports generally cruises at higher altitudes and may be less affected by the restriction.