NATO Holds Largest Air Exercises in History, Eurocontrol Predicts No Flight Cancellations

Illustration of NATO fighter aircraft. (Wikimedia Commons/US Air Force/Cornellrockey)

JAKARTA - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) largest air deployment exercise, due to take place in June, will not lead to the cancellation of commercial flights, Europe's top air traffic manager said, after Germany's aviation industry raised fears it could cause disruption.

"We do not anticipate that there will be a need for airline operators to make cancellations to accommodate the needs of the exercise," Eurocontrol told Reuters in a statement, as reported on April 26.

Titled 'Air Defender 23', the exercise will be one of the largest air exercises in NATO history, with 25 countries taking part in joint exercises over German, Dutch, and Czech airspace. It will use air corridors frequently used for training purposes, according to the German Air Force.

Quoting the Bundeswehr website, the exercise will be held on June 12-23, attended by around 10.000 participants and 220 aircraft of 23 different types.

It is known, since Russia's massive invasion of Ukraine last year, the commercial airspace over Ukraine has been closed. That led to reduced commercial airspace over Europe, resulting in more traffic congregating over the southern part of the continent.

Air traffic control strikes in France and elsewhere have exacerbated the restricted airspace, raising fears of costly cancellations and delays across the continent.

Meanwhile, the German aviation sector is particularly concerned about the adverse impact of the drills on commercial flights. German industry group BDLS has called for tight coordination around the drills to prevent any disruptions.

"Coordinated actions will allow this major military event to take place while, at the same time, accommodating civilian air traffic with the lowest possible impact in terms of air traffic delays and rerouting actions," added Eurocontrol.