Asian airlines reroute or cancel flights amid South Asia conflict

This comes as a result of airspace closures and some airport shutdowns in Pakistan following the conflict in South Asia, which occurred on Wednesday.

According to reports from Reuters, India launched an attack on Pakistan and the Pakistan-administered region of Kashmir, while Pakistan responded by claiming to have shot down five Indian fighter jets.

THAI has informed passengers that it will be adjusting flight paths to destinations in Europe and South Asia. The adjusted flight paths may result in some departure or arrival delays, the airline said.

Korean Air announced that, starting Wednesday, it had begun rerouting its Seoul Incheon–Dubai flights. Instead of passing through Pakistani airspace, the airline has opted for a southern route over Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India.

Taiwan's EVA Air stated that it would modify its flight paths to and from Europe, avoiding airspace affected by the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan to ensure passenger safety.

One flight departing from Vienna will return to its origin, while a flight from Taipei to Milan will make a stop in Vienna for refueling before continuing to its final destination, the airline said in a statement to Reuters.

Taiwan's China Airlines confirmed that it had activated its contingency plan, implementing a series of measures to safeguard passengers and crew. However, it did not provide further details.

According to Taiwan’s main international airport in Taoyuan, just outside Taipei, China Airlines' nonstop flight to London scheduled for Wednesday had been canceled.

Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many Europe-bound flights from Taiwan traversed Russian airspace. However, Taiwanese airlines are now prohibited from doing so after Taipei joined Western sanctions against Moscow. As a result, most flights currently take routes over India, Pakistan, and Central Asia.