Flights on the Helsinki–Tartu–Helsinki route were canceled overnight into Friday after airspace restrictions took effect. Col. Riivo Valge, commander of the Estonian Air Force, told ERR Friday the EDF is doing "everything in our power" to keep Tartu Airport running.

Established at the EDF's request, the temporary airspace restriction covers Eastern Estonia, from Pedassaar south to the Estonian–Latvian border along the eastern shore of Lake Võrtsjärv and east all the way to the eastern border. It extends up to a height of 6,000 meters and is in effect from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Those hours overlap with Finnair's scheduled Tartu flights, which land at Tartu Airport at 12:45 a.m. and depart again at 6 a.m.

Valge said the canceled flight Thursday night was the airline's call. "If they had coordinated with us, they could have flown, but it was their decision not to operate that flight," he explained.

"We understand this air service is vital for Tartu, and efforts are underway to keep it running smoothly," he added.

Asked whether passengers whose flights were canceled would be compensated, the Air Force commander noted that compensation is the airline's responsibility.

The EDF has not spoken directly with carriers about the restriction, but airlines receive notices about airspace restrictions.

Valge stressed this is not strictly a no-fly zone, but a restricted area. This means flights may go ahead if coordinated — as police did Thursday night while searching for a missing person with a drone.

He said flight restrictions are meant to make surveillance easier, giving operators fewer targets to track and making it simpler to steer civilian aircraft out of the area if needed.

Low-flying drones are especially hard to detect, Valge noted.

"As we're seeing in Poland and elsewhere, across the region, NATO has struggled to spot low-flying threats," the Air Force commander acknowledged.

"Restriction zones implemented on the alliance's eastern flank make it easier for surveillance operators to catch drones entering Estonia," he continued, adding that whether drones may be entering by interference or intentionally is another matter.

Similar measures are in place in Latvia, Lithuania and Finland. Valge added that the zone's existence doesn't mean it's active at all times; activation depends on the EDF's countermeasures.

Maj. Taavi Karotamm, chief of public affairs at the Joint Headquarters of the Estonian Defense Forces, said Estonia's overall threat assessment hasn't changed and there is no direct military threat to Estonia in the near future.

He did acknowledge, however, that risks from border airspace violations have increased in recent weeks. "The temporary restriction zone is due to Russia's military actions against Ukraine, which have caused various aircraft to enter NATO airspace," Karotamm said.

The move also comes as Russia and Belarus launch their joint Zapad military exercises. Valge said the buildup near the borders "is certainly a factor."

How long restrictions will remain in place is unclear. "We're approaching this on an ongoing basis," he said. "If the threat persists, we're ready to respond."

Valge urged the public to use the "Ole valmis!" ("Be prepared!") mobile app to report suspicious activity in the sky, noting images reach the Air Force instantly.

Karotamm said no unusual steps were needed to impose the airspace restriction, though it was implemented faster than usual. He thanked the Transport Administration and the Estonian Air Navigation Services (EANS) for their close cooperation on the matter.

The "Ole valmis!" ("Be prepared!") website and app are available in Estonian, English and Russian, and the app is available for both iOS and Android.

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