Airlines Reroute Flights Amid India-Pakistan Air Tensions
TAIPEI/NEW DELHI, May 7 – Several Asian airlines are rerouting or cancelling flights to and from Europe due to heightened military conflict between India and Pakistan. The situation escalated after India launched attacks on Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir, prompting Pakistan to claim it had shot down five Indian fighter jets. This marks the worst confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbours in over two decades.
Airspace Closures and Cancellations
Over two dozen international flights were diverted to avoid Pakistani airspace. According to FlightRadar24, 52 flights to or from Pakistan had been cancelled as of Wednesday morning local time. At the time of India’s strike, 57 international flights were within Pakistani airspace, a Pakistan army spokesperson said.
Impact on Domestic Operations
Domestic flights within both countries were also severely affected. India temporarily closed several airports, canceling flights operated by Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air. IndiGo’s stock dropped by 1.8% in response to the disruptions.
Airspace Largely Deserted
Images from flight tracking websites showed a near-complete absence of civilian aircraft in northwestern Indian airspace and across Pakistan, with only a handful of flights visible.
Ripple Effects on Regional Air Traffic
The reconfiguration of airline schedules adds further complexity to air traffic operations across the Middle East and South Asia, regions already affected by ongoing conflicts.
International Airlines Respond
A spokesperson for KLM stated the airline had suspended all flights over Pakistan until further notice. Singapore Airlines also halted its use of Pakistani airspace from May 6.
Taiwan’s EVA Air announced adjustments to its Europe-bound routes to ensure safety. One flight from Vienna was redirected back, and another from Taipei to Milan was rerouted via Vienna for refuelling. Shares of EVA Air fell about 1.7%.
Korean Air rerouted its Seoul Incheon–Dubai flights to a southern route passing over Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India, avoiding Pakistani airspace. Thai Airways confirmed rerouting flights to Europe and South Asia starting early Wednesday. Vietnam Airlines reported that the conflict also impacted its flight schedules.
China Airlines of Taiwan reported major disruptions to its flights to London, Frankfurt, and Rome. Some flights were cancelled, while others were redirected to make technical stops in Bangkok or Prague for refuelling and crew changes. The airline’s shares fell by over 2%.
Longer Routes for Indian Flights to Europe
Some India-to-Europe flights are now taking extended routes. For example, Lufthansa flight LH761 from Delhi to Frankfurt deviated westward toward the Arabian Sea near Surat, resulting in a longer journey than the previous day.
Geopolitical Shifts Affect Routing Options
Previously, Taiwan’s airlines flew over Russia en route to Europe. However, following Taiwan’s alignment with Western sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine conflict, Russian airspace is now off-limits to Taiwanese carriers. This has led them to reroute via Indian, Pakistani, and Central Asian airspace, now complicated by the current hostilities.
Industry Raises Alarm Over Safety and Costs
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines expressed concern over the broad implications of regional conflicts on aviation.
“Apart from cost and operational disruption, there are safety concerns as GPS spoofing interfering with flight operations over conflict zones is one of the industry’s highest risks,” the association said.
GPS Spoofing Adds to Aviation Risk
GPS spoofing, a technique used to manipulate satellite navigation data, can mislead aircraft and severely threaten flight safety, especially in areas affected by conflict.
