Several airlines across Asia announced on Wednesday that they were canceling or re-routing their flights to Europe due to escalating military tensions between India and Pakistan.
The surge in hostilities, marked by India’s airstrikes in Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, and Pakistan’s claims of shooting down five Indian jets, has triggered the most severe conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations in over twenty years.
According to FlightRadar24, more than 50 international flights scheduled for Pakistan were canceled by Wednesday morning, while over two dozen global flights were forced to bypass Pakistani airspace.
A spokesperson for Pakistan’s military noted that 57 international flights were traversing the country’s airspace at the time of India’s air assault.
The confrontation has also impacted domestic travel in both countries, leading to airport closures across India and affecting operations for major carriers such as Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air. IndiGo’s stock dropped by 1.8% amid the disruption.
Flight tracking visuals showed sparse air traffic in northwestern India and across Pakistani airspace, highlighting the significant decline in civilian aircraft activity.
These adjustments are further complicating flight logistics in the already strained Middle East and South Asia corridors, as regional conflicts continue to hinder airline operations.
Taiwanese airline EVA Air (2618.TW) stated it was re-routing European-bound flights to steer clear of conflict zones between India and Pakistan for passenger safety.
“One flight from Vienna will be diverted back to that city, while a flight from Taipei to Milan will be diverted to Vienna for refuelling before continuing on to its destination,” the airline said. Its shares dipped about 1.7%.
Korean Air (003490.KS) confirmed a change in the route for its Seoul Incheon, Dubai flights, now opting for a path over Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India, instead of using Pakistani airspace.
Thai Airways (THAI.BK) reported rerouting of European and South Asian flights beginning early Wednesday, and Vietnam Airlines (HVN.HM) acknowledged that rising India-Pakistan tensions had affected its travel plans.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s China Airlines (2610.TW) revealed that flights to destinations such as London, Frankfurt, and Rome were impacted, some being canceled, while others were diverted to cities like Bangkok and Prague for fuel stops and crew changes.
This disruption pushed the airline’s shares down by over 2%.
Indian flights heading to Europe were also seen taking alternative, longer paths. Lufthansa flight LH761, for example, rerouted over the Arabian Sea near Surat in western India, differing from its usual trajectory, as observed on FlightRadar24.
Previously, Taiwan’s Europe-bound flights would pass over Russia, but following Taipei’s participation in Western sanctions against Moscow post-Ukraine invasion, Taiwanese carriers have had to reroute through Central Asia, India, and Pakistan.
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines expressed concern over how regional conflicts are impacting airline operations.
“Apart from cost and operational disruption, there are safety concerns as GPS spoofing interfering with flight operations over conflict zones is one of highest risks the industry faces,” the group noted.
GPS spoofing, an act of falsifying location data, poses serious risks by potentially leading aircraft off their intended paths.
