An aerial view of the famous Christ the Redeemer atop of Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro, January 12, 2011. Photo by Reuters
RIO DE JANEIRO: The Brazilian air force will restrict Rio de Janeiro’s airspace during two separate periods between July and September to ensure security during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, officials said.
The airspace will be restricted for the Olympic Games between July 24 and Aug. 22.
The second period of restricted airspace will run from Sept. 7-19, this one surrounding the Paralympic Games.
Using the Olympic Park as a central reference point, “white,” “yellow,” and “red” zones of decreasing radius will be established, with the maximum radius of the “white” zone being 100 kilometers (62 miles).
The “white” area will be activated on July 24 and security procedures there will include monitoring and certification of aircraft entering the zone extending out 100 kilometers around the Olympic Park.
Training or tourist flights will be prohibited in the zone along with drones, balloons and paragliding.
This zone includes the municipalities of Angra dos Reis and Cabo Frio and parts of the Atlantic Ocean.
The “yellow” zone will be activated on Aug. 3 and will extend out 27 kilometers (17 miles). There, only flights carrying heads of state or government representatives, special delegations or commercial flights will receive authorization to enter the zone.
The “red” space will extend out 7.2 kilometers (4.5 miles) and is the area within which all Olympic competitions will take place. Only flights previously authorized by the Aerospace Defense Operations Center will be allowed to enter the area.
The Barra de Tijuca region, where most of the Olympic venues and the Athletic Village are located, will be protected 24 hours a day.
If any aircraft were to violate the restricted areas during the two time periods, the procedure will be for the Brazilian air force to verify its origin, then “intervene,” “persuade” the aircraft to leave the area and, if necessary, “destroy” it, officials said.
The restrictive measures are “the same” as those implemented during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. – Bernama