Geographical extent of the exclusion zone
The ED-R zone "Reichenhall" is located south of Traunstein near the German-Austrian border and covers a large area in the foothills of the Alps. The coordinates describe an irregular polygon that includes the following locations:
- Reichenhall and surroundings
- Berchtesgadener Land
- Parts of Chiemgau and neighbouring areas in eastern Upper Bavaria
The Lateral boundary is based on eleven defined points with precise geographical coordinates. A visualisation of the zone is available in common flight planning apps and in the updated ICAO maps.
The Vertical expansion ranges from FL110 (approx. 3,350 m MSL) until FL150 (approx. 4,570 m MSL) and therefore only affects upper airspace. VFR traffic is therefore not directly affected, unless visual flights in the high mountains reach these altitudes.
Temporal activation - several days of intensive use
The zone is activated on a total of eight days in July 2025in the early morning hours until the afternoon:
- 01 to 03 July 2025daily from 06:00 to 16:00 UTC
- 04 July 2025: 06:00 to 11:00 UTC
- 07 to 10 July 2025daily from 06:00 to 16:00 UTC
- 11 July 2025: 06:00 to 11:00 UTC
During this period, the area is generally closed to civilian flights, with a few exceptions. The activation is carried out by NOTAMwhich should be viewed on a daily basis.
Who can still use the area?
Flight movements within the ED-R "Reichenhall" are only permitted during the activation times. after prior authorisation permitted by the responsible air traffic control centre - typically Munich Radar.
Only authorised flights are permitted:
- Military aircraft and such on behalf of the Bundeswehr
- State aircraft
- Police flights
- Rescue and disaster control operations
- Ambulance flights
- IFR flightsif they have been authorised
Effects on air traffic
General aviation (VFR)
As the vertical extent of the zone is limited exclusively to the FL110 to FL150 restricted, VFR flights are usually Not affected. Only visual flights in high mountains or special high-altitude missions (e.g. weather balloons, gliding in wave updrafts) could be restricted.
Business and scheduled air traffic (IFR)
Controlled IFR traffic, in particular between Austria and southern Germanymust expect re-routing, staggering adjustments or waiting times. DFS and Eurocontrol will publish corresponding route alternatives. Flights on the following routes could be particularly affected to and from Salzburg, Innsbruck or Munich be.
Recommendation for flight preparation
- Daily NOTAM briefing especially for IFR flights through southern Germany.
- Current ICAO charts and electronic flight planning services such as SkyDemon, ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot or the DFS AIS portal.
- If anything is unclear, please contact ATC (Munich Radar) Contact us.
- Flights that operate in the vicinity of the restricted area should, if possible rescheduled in terms of time or geography become.
Conclusion: Temporary zone with considerable relevance for upper airspace
The new ED-R "Reichenhall" is a typical example of how military exercises can selectively interfere with civil air traffic - especially in the complex airspace of south-east Bavaria. For IFR flights, this means increased attention and precise flight planning, while VFR traffic remains largely unaffected.
The measure also shows that if you want to fly safely, you must always be informed about daily airspace restrictions - and stay in close contact with DFS, ATC and the flight planning services.
Source references:
NFL (the link requires a subscription to Eisenschmidt)
