Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB)

Conflict Zone Information Bulletins emerged from the international response to the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which exposed gaps in how risk information about conflict areas reached civil operators. A CZIB describes the airspace concerned, summarizes the assessed threat — such as the presence of capable surface-to-air weapon systems — and may recommend that operators avoid the area or fly only above a stated altitude. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is the body that issues these bulletins in the European context.

A CZIB is advisory rather than a legal closure; the authority to prohibit or restrict use of sovereign airspace remains with the relevant state, typically expressed through NOTAMs or formal restrictions. The bulletin's value is in aggregating and sharing a threat assessment that an individual operator could not easily assemble alone, complementing national advisories issued by other states for their own carriers. Bulletins are reviewed and updated as the underlying situation changes.

Conflict-zone bulletins are one input among several authoritative streams that define overflight risk, and they often relate to airspace spanning multiple FIRs. AeroVigil aggregates official conflict-zone advisories, airspace restrictions and related intelligence and ties them to the affected regions so operations and security teams can weigh overflight decisions against the current picture.