The Czech Ministry of Defence announced on 17 July that the multinational exercise Ample Strike 2026 will run from 7–17 September, involving 26 Joint Terminal Attack Controller teams from 19 NATO nations. Flight operations will concentrate around Boletice Military Training Area, Bechyně Barracks and the airports of Náměšť nad Oslavou and České Budějovice. Although still seven weeks away, the notice is crucial for airlines and corporate flight departments because the Czech Air Navigation Service Provider will publish Temporary Reserved Areas (TRA/TSA) along key domestic airways. During previous editions, carriers faced reroutes adding up to twelve minutes on Prague–Paris and Vienna–Hamburg sectors as civilian traffic skirted live-fire zones. The exercise schedule confirms daily activity blocks from 09:00 to 23:00 local time on weekdays, with occasional night-vision sorties. Cargo operators using Ostrava’s Mošnov airport and business-jet firms serving Brno should be alert for short-notice slot compression when fast jets reposition between ranges. The Defence Ministry has promised transparent coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority. A pre-launch NOTAM briefing will be held in Prague on 19 August; foreign carriers may dial in virtually. Relocation managers moving expatriate families at the end of the summer break should avoid booking removals flights on 13 and 16 September, historically the busiest days of the drill. Ample Strike boosts the Czech Republic’s host-nation-support credentials but also generates temporary noise and route-capacity issues. Early awareness enables travel managers to shift departures outside peak windows or reroute via Bratislava and Dresden when necessary.
Source: Armáda ČR (Czech Army)
