---
slug: "azure-aks-managed-nginx-ingress-application-routing-retirement"
title: "Azure Kubernetes Service: managed NGINX ingress (Application Routing) retirement"
summary: "End of support date for the NGINX ingress controller within the AKS Application Routing add-on: Nov 2026. Critical security patches from Microsoft end on that date."
cloud: "azure"
service: "Azure Kubernetes Service"
service_slug: "aks"
category: "feature"
type: "retirement"
announced_date: "2026-02-27"
effective_date: "2026-11-01"
effective_precision: "month"
replacement: "Gateway API with Application Routing (in development), Application Gateway for Containers, or Istio Service Mesh"
affected_versions: []
source_url: "https://azure.microsoft.com/updates?id=555839"
extra_source_urls: ["https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/app-routing"]
vendor_ref: "555839"
last_checked_at: "2026-11-12T09:55:19.345Z"
created_at: "2026-11-13T13:36:44.208Z"
updated_at: "2026-11-13T13:36:44.208Z"
url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-managed-nginx-ingress-application-routing-retirement"
short_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/i/2e"
markdown_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-managed-nginx-ingress-application-routing-retirement.md"
json_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-managed-nginx-ingress-application-routing-retirement.json"
---

# Azure Kubernetes Service: managed NGINX ingress (Application Routing) retirement

End of support date for the NGINX ingress controller within the AKS Application Routing add-on: Nov 2026. Critical security patches from Microsoft end on that date.

- Effective date: Nov 2026 (month precision: the vendor gives no day)
- Cloud: [Azure](https://eolwatch.dev/cloud/azure.md)
- Service: [Azure Kubernetes Service](https://eolwatch.dev/services/azure/aks.md)
- Type: Retirement
- Category: [Feature](https://eolwatch.dev/categories/features.md)
- Replacement: Gateway API with Application Routing (in development), Application Gateway for Containers, or Istio Service Mesh
- Announced: 27 Feb 2026
- Official source: [azure.microsoft.com](https://azure.microsoft.com/updates?id=555839)
- Last checked: 12 Nov 2026

## What breaks

Critical security patches from Microsoft for the NGINX ingress controller in the Application Routing add-on end on Nov 2026. After that date, the NGINX ingress controller is no longer supported within the Application Routing add-on. Microsoft states that the upstream Ingress-NGINX project receives no updates after March 2026.

## What to do

The Microsoft update lists no migration steps. It names supported alternatives: Gateway API with Application Routing (in development), Application Gateway for Containers, and Istio Service Mesh. See [Learn more.](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/app-routing)

## Replacement

Gateway API with Application Routing (in development), Application Gateway for Containers, or Istio Service Mesh

## Sources

- [Official source](https://azure.microsoft.com/updates?id=555839) (azure.microsoft.com, Official)
- [Additional source](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/app-routing) (learn.microsoft.com, Official)

Last checked against the first source in this list on 12 Nov 2026.

Page: https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-managed-nginx-ingress-application-routing-retirement | JSON: https://eolwatch.dev/items/azure-aks-managed-nginx-ingress-application-routing-retirement.json

The text on this page is drafted with AI assistance from the vendor's text, checked against the official source and approved by a person before it is published.