Crimea airspace becomes no-go through SFAR

Due to the ongoing crisis in Crimea, the FAA has issued a special federal aviation regulation (SFAR) prohibiting flights in the region. This action follows Russia’s recent annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula. The SFAR applies to the majority of US flights ops and N-registered aircraft. Exceptions include flights of US-registered aircraft by foreign operators, and aircraft operated by foreign entities but flown by US pilots. Specifically, a section of the Simferopol flight information region (FIR) has been designated as prohibited. This includes the entire Crimean peninsula, in addition to the surrounding region and the international airspace over the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, which is managed by Ukraine under a regional agreement with ICAO. According to FAA, a NOTAM issued by Russia on March 28 “purporting to establish unilaterally a new FIR, effective April 3, 2014, in a significant portion of the Simferopol (UKFV) FIR,” was the incentive for this SFAR. “The potential for civil aircraft to receive confusing and conflicting air traffic control instructions from both Ukrainian and Russian ATS providers while operating in the portion of the Simferopol (UKFV) FIR covered by this SFAR is unsafe [sic] and presents a potential hazard to civil flight operations in the disputed airspace,” the agency adds.