TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Several airlines in Asia said on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, that they are changing routes or canceling flights to and from Europe due to the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan.
Pakistan claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets, the worst battle in over two decades between the two nuclear-armed enemies. Meanwhile, India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of Wednesday, firing missiles it called "precision strikes at terrorist camps" in Pakistan.
More than two dozen commercial flights were diverted to avoid Pakistani airspace. As of Wednesday morning local time, airlines had canceled 52 flights to or from Pakistan, according to FlightRadar24 as reported by Channel NewsAsia.
Taiwan's EVA Air said they would adjust their flights to and from Europe to avoid the airspace affected by the conflict between India and Pakistan for safety reasons.
A flight from Vienna will be diverted back to the city, while a flight from Taipei to Milan will be diverted to Vienna to refuel before continuing its journey to its destination, the airline said.
Korean Air said it had started rerouting the flight route of Seoul Incheon-Dubai on Wednesday, opting for a southern route passing through Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India, instead of the previous route through Pakistani airspace.
Thai Airways said flights to destinations in Europe and South Asia would be diverted starting Wednesday morning, with a warning that this could cause delays for some flights.
Vietnam Airlines said the tension between India and Pakistan had affected its flight plans and would provide details of the rerouting schedules later.
Taiwan's China Airlines said it had activated its emergency plan and "taken a series of measures to ensure the safety of its passengers and crew." However, the airline did not elaborate further.
The main international airport website in Taiwan at Taoyuan, outside Taipei, showed that China Airlines' direct flights to London on Wednesday had been canceled.
Some flights from India to Europe also appeared to take longer routes. Lufthansa's LH761 flight from Delhi to Frankfurt turned right towards the Arabian Sea near the city of Surat in western India. This route took a longer path compared to Tuesday, according to FlightRadar24.
Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Taiwanese flights bound for Europe generally crossed Russian airspace but have since been banned after Taipei joined the Western sanctions against Moscow and fly above Indian, Pakistani, and Central Asian airspace.
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