Airlines are diverting flights away from Pakistani skies after the country closed its airspace for 48 hours late on Tuesday, May 6. Tensions between Pakistan and India have escalated following an attack by an armed group on tourists on April 22.
Air France told CNN it is avoiding Pakistan airspace and adapting its flight schedule and flight plans to and from certain destinations. Some routes will require longer flight times.
Other airlines, including KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways, Swiss International Air Lines and Emirates are also avoiding the airspace. Reuters reported on May 7 that more than two dozen international flights had been diverted on account of the closure.
Yesterday morning more than 50 flights to or from Pakistan had been cancelled. Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways have cancelled flights to Pakistan while services to other destinations in the region have been diverted.
In northern India, several airports have closed, forcing Air India, SpiceJet and IndiGo to cancel certain domestic flights.
Taiwan’s EVA Air, Korean Air, Thai Airways and Vietnam Airlines are rerouting their Europe-bound flights and making additional stops for refuelling. Taiwan’s China Airlines also cancelled some European flights, according to Reuters.
The closure of the airspace came after tensions between the two states escalated when Indian armed forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 6, targeting alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Reuters reported that Pakistan had shot down five Indian fighter jets in retaliation. The escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan has been attributed to the killing of 26 civilians, mostly tourists, by an armed group in the town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir a fortnight ago. India accused Pakistan of the attack, blaming that country for harboring militant groups. Pakistan denied any involvement.
