Asian airlines re-route, cancel flights due to India-Pakistan fighting

Several Asian airlines said on Wednesday they were re-routing or cancelling flights to and from Europe because of fighting between India and Pakistan.

India attacked Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir and Pakistan said it had shot down five Indian fighter jets in the worst fighting in more than two decades between the neighbouring countries.

More than two dozen commercial flights were diverted to avoid Pakistan airspace. By Wednesday morning local time, airlines had cancelled 52 flights to or from Pakistan, according to FlightRadar24.

Taiwan's EVA Air said it will adjust its flights to and from Europe to avoid airspace affected by the fighting between India and Pakistan for safety reasons. Shares were down about 1.7 per cent.

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 in a statement to Reuters.

Korean Air said it had begun rerouting its Seoul Incheon–Dubai flights on Wednesday, opting for a southern route that passes over Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India, instead of the previous path through Pakistani airspace.

Thai Airways said that flights to destinations in Europe and South Asia would be rerouted starting early on Wednesday, warning this could cause delays to some flights.

Vietnam Airlines said the tensions between India and Pakistan had affected its flight plans and would provide details regarding re-routing schedules later.

Taiwan's China Airlines said it had activated its contingency plan and "taken a series of measures to ensure the safety of its passengers and crew". It did not elaborate. Its shares were down more than 2 per cent. The website of Taiwan's main international airport at Taoyuan, outside Taipei, showed that Wednesday's China Airlines non-stop flight to London had been cancelled.

Some flights from India to Europe were also seen taking longer routes. Lufthansa flight LH761 from Delhi to Frankfurt turned right towards the Arabian Sea near the western Indian city of Surat, taking a longer path compared to Tuesday, according to FlightRadar24.