Airlines cancel, reroute flights after India-Pakistan clashes
Bangkok - Clashes between India and Pakistan on Wednesday sent airlines scrambling to cancel, divert, or reroute flights.
The neighbours exchanged heavy artillery fire along their contested frontier after India launched missile strikes in retaliation for a deadly terror attack last month.
Here is a round-up of what airlines are doing to avoid flying over the conflict zone.
- South Korea - Korean Air has begun rerouting its flights from Seoul Incheon to Dubai, using a southern route that passes over Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India, instead of the previous path through Pakistani airspace.
"We are currently monitoring the situation for further changes," a Korean Air official told AFP.
- Taiwan - Taiwan's China Airlines said several flights have been diverted or cancelled. Two flights from Taipei to Frankfurt and Amsterdam "made a technical diversion to Bangkok" before returning to the Taiwanese capital.
Three flights from Taipei to Prague, Rome, and London were cancelled on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"China Airlines continues to monitor the situation and will adjust flight schedules as needed," it said.
EVA Air said it will adjust flights to and from Europe "based on actual conditions to avoid affected airspace to ensure the safety of crew members and passengers".
A flight from Vienna to Bangkok will return to the Austrian capital, while a flight from Taipei to Milan will be diverted to Vienna for refuelling and then continue to the Italian city, the airline said in a statement.
- Malaysia - Malaysia Airlines rerouted two flights from Kuala Lumpur -- one to London Heathrow and one to Paris Charles de Gaulle. They stopped in Doha before continuing their journeys. The carrier also suspended all flights to and from India's Amritsar until May 9.
- Thailand - Thai Airways said it was rerouting flights to destinations in Europe and South Asia from 5:00 am on Wednesday (2200 GMT Tuesday), warning of possible delays.
- Sri Lanka - Sri Lankan Airlines said its flights were unaffected and there is no change to their four weekly flights to Pakistan's Lahore and Karachi.
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.
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