The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) confirmed that from 10 September to 9 December 2025 the special EP R129 air-restriction zone will be active over eastern Poland, but the notice gained renewed attention from corporate travel teams on 22 October as airlines published winter schedules.
Under the NOTAM, all civilian night flights are prohibited within a corridor hugging the Belarusian and Ukrainian borders; drones are banned 24/7, and daytime commercial traffic must file revised flight plans that keep at least ten nautical miles west of the zone. Military and emergency services aircraft are exempt.
The Operational Command of the Armed Forces requested the measure amid heightened regional tensions and sporadic drone incursions. For business travellers the immediate impact is longer routings for regional turboprops serving Lublin, Rzeszów and Białystok, adding up to 15 minutes per sector. Charter operators flying technical specialists to border-area infrastructure projects must obtain individual clearances 48 hours in advance.
While the restriction does not affect Warsaw Chopin or Kraków airports, aviation analysts warn that any extension into 2026 could increase operating costs and constrain cargo belly-hold capacity during the peak electronics-export season. Companies should factor potential schedule shifts into travel policies and consider rail or road alternatives for last-mile movements to border factories.
Under the NOTAM, all civilian night flights are prohibited within a corridor hugging the Belarusian and Ukrainian borders; drones are banned 24/7, and daytime commercial traffic must file revised flight plans that keep at least ten nautical miles west of the zone. Military and emergency services aircraft are exempt.
The Operational Command of the Armed Forces requested the measure amid heightened regional tensions and sporadic drone incursions. For business travellers the immediate impact is longer routings for regional turboprops serving Lublin, Rzeszów and Białystok, adding up to 15 minutes per sector. Charter operators flying technical specialists to border-area infrastructure projects must obtain individual clearances 48 hours in advance.
While the restriction does not affect Warsaw Chopin or Kraków airports, aviation analysts warn that any extension into 2026 could increase operating costs and constrain cargo belly-hold capacity during the peak electronics-export season. Companies should factor potential schedule shifts into travel policies and consider rail or road alternatives for last-mile movements to border factories.
