PARIS. Paris will enforce an unprecedented no-fly zone over the city for six hours during the highly anticipated opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on July 26, as part of rigorous security measures, announced the Paris airports operator on Wednesday.
Augustin de Romanet, Chairman of Aéroports de Paris, revealed on France Info radio that airlines have been informed in advance about the airspace closure and instructed to divert flights away from the restricted area. “For six hours, there won’t be any aircraft over the Paris region,” he emphasized.
The no-fly zone will cover a radius of 150 kilometers (93 miles) around Paris, according to statements from the civil aviation authority and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.
The spectacle of the opening ceremony, set along the iconic River Seine, poses a monumental security challenge for Paris Games organizers, with an estimated crowd of over 320,000 expected to line the waterway.
To ensure safety, at least one French military AWACS surveillance aircraft will monitor the skies during the Olympics, equipped with powerful radar to detect potential airborne threats. Additional military aircraft stand ready to intercept any unauthorized flights entering the restricted Olympic airspace.
In a separate development, de Romanet expressed optimism about trialing small electric-powered airborne taxis over Paris during the Games, potentially marking a historic milestone. However, European air-certification authorities may initially limit the taxis to experimental flights, delaying commercial operations.
“We have high hopes that we will be able to carry passengers experimentally which will pave the way, over Paris, for the first flight in the world of an electrical vertical take-off aircraft,” de Romanet stated, underscoring the innovative nature of the endeavor.
Despite assurances of safety, concerns persist among critics, including Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who opposes the proposal due to potential noise pollution and safety risks associated with airborne taxis.
As preparations for the Paris Olympics intensify, the balance between innovation and security remains a focal point, shaping discussions around the world’s most anticipated sporting event.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
