The airspace over Paris will be closed for six hours as part of a major security operation during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on July 26, the Interior Ministry and the main operator of Paris airports announced today.
Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin announced that the no-fly zone will extend in a radius of 150 kilometers around Paris.
The president of the operator that owns and operates Paris's international airports, Aeroports de Paris, Augustin de Romanet, told France Info radio that all airlines had been warned in advance of the closure and had been told they would have to fly around restricted airspace for the duration of the opening ceremony.
At least one French military AVAX plane will monitor the skies during the Olympics, using its powerful radar to track any potential threats from the air, the commander of France's AVAX squadron told The Associated Press.
Other military aircraft can be set to intercept any unauthorized flights entering restricted airspace.
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, which for the first time will not be held in a stadium but is to be held on the Seine River, presents the single most difficult security challenge for the organizers of the Paris Games, as around 320.000 people are expected to attend, as well as a host of foreign officials.
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