RIYADH – It is generally thought that you can board a plane and fly to any part of the earth as the sky is a shared resource and there is no restriction.
To your dismay, the above statement is not exactly true as there are multiple locations on Earth over which even planes can’t fly.
Let’s have a look at the areas where the planes can’t fly:
Holy Kaabah, Mecca
Known for its religious reverence, the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia presents a classic case to confirm that even planes can’t fly over every place on Earth.
According to the regulations by the Saudi Authorities, airlines are prohibited from flying over the Holy Kaaba due to multiple reasons including security concerns.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) only allows a few helicopters to fly over the zone and that too on special occasions and for special reasons.
Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil’s Triangle, is a region in the Atlantic Ocean and is infamous for its reputation as a mysterious area where numerous aircraft and ships have seemingly disappeared under unexplained circumstances. The boundaries of the Bermuda Triangle are often described as a triangular area, with its vertices located at Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. Officially, it is not a no-fly zone; however, the zone is avoided religiously by all carriers.
Some have even peddled theories about the supernatural and enigmatic nature of the triangle and even documentaries have been made about it; however, it is also stated that extreme weather conditions are a cause for the disappearance of the aircraft.
Machu Picchu
This spot which attracts thousands of visitors each year does not allow aircraft to fly over it due to the area’s fragile ecology and the significance of the Inca ruins at Machu Picchu.
In response to concerns raised by environmentalists about the potential harm to the indigenous fauna and flora in the area, the Peruvian government implemented a no-fly zone around Machu Picchu in 2006. This decision, as reported by the BBC, aimed to address the issue of low-flying helicopter tours that posed a threat to the delicate ecosystem of the renowned site.
Taj Mahal
A relic of the Mughal Empire from the 17th century, the Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, has long been one of the most sought-after tourist destinations as it is widely known for its amazing Mughal-era architecture and decorations.
Until the 2010s, there was no official ban on the airspace surrounding the Taj Mahal, but reportedly in 2015, both archeologists and the Taj Mahal’s security service requested that an official no-fly zone be created following which the Taj Mahal secured status as a no-fly zone.
Washington DC
Housing all of the important governmental installations inside including the White House, both houses of Congress, museums and monuments, Washington, D.C. boasts a restricted air space and doesn’t allow aircraft to pass through it.
The authorities don’t even allow the drones to operate in areas close to the White House due to security concerns and keep an eye on any intruding manned or unmanned aerial vehicle.
North Korea
The military overtures of the North Korean leaders besides other reasons have made the country a no-fly zone.
Though some carriers pass through the airspace of North Korea, many others avoid it due to the risk associated with it. Most importantly, the US prohibits flights across all North Korean airspace, including the oceanic part of the ZKKP/Pyongyang FIR over the Sea of Japan.
Ukraine
The airspace of Ukraine had never been restricted but due to the war with Russia, the country closed its airspace to all civil traffic in February 2022.
According to a forecast recently published by Eurocontrol, it is anticipated that flights over Ukraine will continue to be restricted until 2029. This projection suggests that the airspace in the region will remain inaccessible for the foreseeable future.
Nepal
The country is open to aircraft flying through it but as it boasts Mount Everest, commercial planes avoid flying over it.
It has been described that as the height of Mount Everest is 29,000 ft, the aircraft avoid flying over it because planes fly normally in the range of 30,000-35000 ft and they can’t be that close to any mountain located at around 29,000 ft.
Disney Land and Disney World
Disneyland, located near Anaheim, California, attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year as it is a popular family-friendly tourist destination in the entire world.
Ever since the September 11, 2001 bombings in New York City, both Disneyland and Disney World have been considered official no-fly zones.
According to official guidelines, the no-fly zones extend for a 3-mile radius from each park and cover up to 3,000 feet in elevation. Both manned and unmanned aircraft, including drones, are prohibited from flying within this zone and efforts to strip the facility of this privilege have gone in vain.
