Flight operations between Asia and Europe faced significant disruption on Wednesday as tensions flared between India and Pakistan, prompting several airlines to cancel or reroute services for safety reasons.
The renewed hostilities marked the most intense military clash between the two nuclear-armed nations in over 20 years. India launched targeted strikes on terrorist infrastructure in some parts of Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of Operation Sindoor last night.
In the wake of the conflict, at least 52 flights heading to or from Pakistan were cancelled by Wednesday morning, as reported by aviation tracking platform FlightRadar24. In total, more than two dozen commercial flights were redirected to steer clear of Pakistani airspace, reflecting the widespread operational impact of the volatile situation, reported Reuters.
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Airlines Take Precautionary Measures Amid Heightened Tensions
Several carriers across Asia promptly altered their flight paths or cancelled services altogether. Taiwan’s EVA Air confirmed it would revise its European flight schedules to bypass areas affected by the military escalation, citing passenger and crew 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 stated in a message to Reuters.
Similarly, Korean Air reported that it started modifying its Seoul Incheon–Dubai service on Wednesday. The new route passes over Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India, replacing its previous trajectory through Pakistani airspace. Thai Airways also issued a notice confirming the rerouting of its flights to Europe and South Asia, warning that delays could occur as a result.
Vietnam Airlines acknowledged that its own operations were affected by the geopolitical developments and said it would release detailed rerouting plans shortly. Taiwan’s China Airlines reported the activation of its emergency contingency protocols, stating it had “taken a series of measures to ensure the safety of its passengers and crew,” though it did not provide further details.
According to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s official website, China Airlines’ scheduled non-stop flight to London on Wednesday had been cancelled. This development adds to the broader ripple effect across international air routes.
Flight data also showed changes to European-bound services departing India. Lufthansa’s Delhi-to-Frankfurt flight (LH761), for example, took a more circuitous path on Wednesday, veering southwest over the Arabian Sea near Surat—an adjustment not seen the previous day, the report noted.
The current crisis has compounded route complexities already faced by East Asian carriers. Before the war in Ukraine, many Taiwanese flights to Europe traversed Russian skies. However, after Taiwan joined Western sanctions on Moscow, such overflights were banned, forcing airlines to take southern routes through India, Pakistan, and Central Asia—now further complicated by the latest India-Pakistan conflict.
