Definition
An airspace of defined dimensions, above the land areas or territorial waters of a State, within which the flight of aircraft is prohibited. This is the ICAO standard definition used internationally.
Plain English
A specific block of airspace over a country's land or coastal waters where aircraft are not allowed to fly at all. The country has marked it on the chart and ruled it off-limits.
Context Anchor
Seen on aeronautical charts, in airspace descriptions, and during route planning when checking areas that must be avoided.
Derivation
From the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) standardised airspace definitions, which member States adopt so the same words mean the same thing across borders. The [ICAO] tag indicates this is the international wording, not a U.S.-specific variation.
Why Pilots Care
Flight into a prohibited area risks interception, severe penalties, or loss of certificate.
Intuition Check
Do not read “prohibited” as “use caution” or “avoid if practical.” In this term, it means flight is not allowed in that airspace.
Example Sentence 1
The route was replanned to give the prohibited area around the capital a wide margin.
Example Sentence 2
Charts clearly mark prohibited areas so pilots can avoid them during both VFR and IFR flights.