Prohibited Airspace

ICAO distinguishes between prohibited, restricted and danger areas. Flight within a prohibited area is forbidden outright, whereas a restricted area allows flight only under specified conditions or with authorization, and a danger area merely warns that activities hazardous to aircraft may take place. Prohibited areas are typically established over sensitive sites such as seats of government, certain military installations or critical infrastructure.

Each prohibited area is published in a state's aeronautical information publication with a designator, lateral boundaries and vertical limits. Because the prohibition is permanent or long-standing, it is generally charted rather than announced solely through short-notice NOTAMs, though changes and activations may still be notified that way.

Distinguishing a standing prohibited area from a temporary restriction or a conflict-driven closure matters when assessing a route. AeroVigil frames airspace restrictions alongside conflict and interference signals so operators can see both persistent prohibitions and newly emerging constraints in one operational picture.