China Establishes 600 km Restricted Area Around Beijing, Effective 2026

China has created a new restricted airspace zone designated ZB(SR)801, centred on Beijing and extending 300 km from the city centre, giving it a diameter of 600 km. The zone is governed by ZBPE NOTAMs A4484/26 and A4646/26.

ZB(SR)801 wraps around the existing Beijing Prohibited Area, ZB(P)801, a ground-to-unlimited, H24 zone from which all flights remain banned. The new zone is distinct: commercial, business aviation and certain government and emergency flights are permitted to enter it, subject to specific requirements. Crews must maintain SSR transponder or equivalent surveillance equipment throughout the flight, keep continuous two-way communication with ATC, report security status before entering — including aircraft identification, SSR code, current position and confirmation that the security situation is normal — adhere to the approved flight plan with any deviation reported to and approved by ATC in advance, and, when flying at or below 3,000 m, keep indicated airspeed at or below 450 km/h.

NOTAM A4646/26 specifies the reporting waypoint to use when entering ZB(SR)801 on each airway, covering routes including B334 (TGO), W31 (CHG), G212 via TGO (TGO), G212 via BESGI (BESGI), A575 via CHG (CHG), A575 via VANVO (VANVO), G332 (CHG), W35 (CHG), W201 (ORAVA), W576 joining W55 (ORAVA), W200 (DOVIV), W4 (DYN), W569 (YQG), W56 (ORODO), W62 (ORODO), W277 (OMBIM), W69 (BAXOD), W64 (NUTLO), W65 (TMR), B458 (TMR), W86 (TMR), B339 (ERVEB), W33 (NUVPU), W52 (NUVPU), W157 (DALIM) and W160 (YQG). A separate procedure applies to aircraft departing ZSJN/Jinan, ZBYN/Taiyuan or ZBHH/Hohhot before entering the restricted area: crews must report their security status to the airport tower prior to departure.

Some crews operating into ZBAA/Beijing have reported receiving a three-question multiple-choice test on the new rules, accompanied by an inspector's answer key. The document seen by operators is dated 1 October 2026. The questions cover whether commercial flights require additional approval to enter ZB(SR)801 (they do not, provided the stated rules are followed), whether ZB(SR)801 replaces the existing prohibited area (it does not), and what information must be included in the security status report.

Layered restricted-airspace zones around capital cities are a recognised tool for separating sensitive ground infrastructure from through traffic without closing an entire region to civil aviation. By keeping ZB(P)801 as the absolute no-fly core and adding a conditional-entry ring around it, the new structure lets Beijing-area traffic continue operating while still controlling who flies near the centre and how.

For flight planning and dispatch, the practical effect sits in detail rather than scale: each airway crossing ZB(SR)801 now carries its own mandated reporting waypoint, and crews must layer speed, transponder, communication and security-reporting requirements on top of the standard flight plan. Departures from Jinan, Taiyuan or Hohhot carry an added pre-departure reporting step before even reaching the zone boundary.

What remains unresolved is whether the reported knowledge test for crews flying into ZBAA is a one-off check or becomes a routine requirement; that would mark a further step in verification rather than just airspace design. Operators flying the listed airways into Beijing will want to confirm the current waypoint and reporting requirements against A4484/26 and A4646/26 before each flight, since the specifics are carried in the NOTAMs rather than in any general briefing.