Flight hour restrictions imposed at Esenboğa Airport for NATO summit

The capital, Ankara, is preparing to host a major international event in the coming days. As part of the security measures taken across the city for the NATO Summit, which will be held on July 7-8, a new regulation has been added. According to the statement made by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, temporary restrictions will be imposed on air traffic at Esenboğa Airport during certain time intervals.

Within the scope of the determined program, civil flights using Esenboğa Airport will be subject to restrictions on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, between 10:00 and 18:00, and on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, between 14:00 and 21:00.

During the time slots when the restrictions are in effect, only civil and military aircraft carrying foreign heads of state and official delegations attending the summit will be exempt from this application. For these special flights to use Esenboğa Airport, the code “STS/ATFMX” must be included in their flight plans.

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure stated, "Civil and military aircraft carrying foreign heads of state and their accompanying official delegations are exempt from the application. For flights that will use Esenboğa Airport within the scope of this exemption, it is mandatory to enter the phrase 'STS/ATFMX' in field 18 of the Flight Plan. Passengers are kindly requested to follow up-to-date information regarding their flights from the relevant airline operators to avoid any inconvenience."

For this reason, passengers traveling by air from Ankara during the specified hours are advised to closely monitor any changes that may occur in their ticket information and in the announcements of airline companies.

These measures, taken to ensure both security and protocol order during the summit, are expected to be felt in transportation across Ankara. It was stated that additional guidance may be provided from time to time by personnel and officials serving at the airport.

To avoid any inconvenience, citizens are advised to revise their travel plans according to the latest information and, in particular, to contact airline companies for flights departing from or arriving at Esenboğa Airport.

News Source: 12punto