Finnish Defence Forces temporarily close airspace over Gulf of Finland for anti-drone operation

Civil aviation in south-eastern Finland faced an unexpected disruption in the early hours of Saturday, 10 July 2026, after the Defence Forces established a short-notice restricted zone over the eastern Gulf of Finland. The NOTAM, in force from 04:00 to 05:25 local time, barred all civilian flights and maritime traffic in a wedge of airspace off Kotka while the Air Force tested rapid-response counter-drone measures. The restriction follows a series of Ukrainian long-range drone strikes on military targets near St Petersburg, which Finnish authorities fear could prompt stray-drone incursions into Finnish airspace. To bolster readiness, the Air Force has deployed additional mobile radars and integrated Navy and Army assets into its 24/7 air-surveillance network. The Armed Forces emphasise that fighter-intercept capacity can be increased “within minutes” if an unidentified unmanned aircraft approaches Finnish territory. Although the closure lasted less than 90 minutes, it forced two regional cargo flights to reroute through Estonian airspace and led to minor delays for general-aviation traffic departing Helsinki-Malmi. Finnair’s scheduled passenger services were unaffected, but the carrier reminded pilots to check NOTAMs meticulously, as similar pop-up restrictions may be issued at very short notice throughout the summer. Finavia and the Finnish Pilots’ Association are advising flight planners, business-aviation operators and drone hobbyists to sign up to real-time alert services. Under EU drone rules, any remote-pilot operating within 8 km of a temporary restricted zone risks fines and confiscation of equipment. Travellers heading for coastal marinas were also urged to monitor the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency’s maritime safety broadcasts, which mirrored the airspace shutdown. While the incident underscores the limited but growing security spill-over from the war in Ukraine, it also highlights the importance for multinational companies of having robust travel-risk protocols in place—even in relatively stable Nordic destinations. Mobility managers should ensure that vendor contracts allow for last-minute route changes and that travellers receive automatic alerts when flight plans are amended.