Escalating military tensions between India and Pakistan have led to significant disruptions in air travel, with numerous airlines re-routing or cancelling flights to and from Europe and within Asia. This follows reported fighting between the two nations.
Pakistan announced the closure of its airspace following the hostilities, and India has shut down several airports in its northern region. Flight tracking data from sites like Flightradar24 showed airspace over northern India and much of Pakistan nearly devoid of civilian aircraft.
Several international carriers have been directly affected. Reuters reported that Taiwan’s China Airlines and Korean Air were among those re-routing or cancelling flights. Dutch airline KLM stated it was not flying over Pakistan, and Singapore Airlines confirmed it had stopped overflying Pakistani airspace since May 6.
Al Jazeera further noted that Malaysia Airlines has cancelled flights to Amritsar, India, and rerouted long-haul services. Indonesia’s Batik Air cancelled flights to Lahore and Amritsar, while Thai Airways and Taiwan’s EVA Air have also adjusted schedules. China Airlines flights to European cities like London, Frankfurt, and Rome faced disruptions, with some requiring technical stops for refueling.
Domestic flights in both countries have also faced severe disruptions. India’s top airline, IndiGo, announced the cancellation of 165 flights, while Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air also cancelled numerous services to cities near the border, as reported by Reuters and Al Jazeera. Pakistan International Airlines flights were also impacted. While an Al Jazeera report mentioned a PIA spokesman saying Pakistani airspace was later restored, the timeline for other airlines to resume normal operations remains unclear.
These reroutes are leading to considerably longer flight times and increased operational costs. For instance, a Lufthansa flight from Delhi to Frankfurt took about half an hour longer than usual, according to FlightRadar24 data cited by Reuters. The FlightRadar24.com blog had previously highlighted that even before this current escalation, Pakistan’s airspace closure to Indian aircraft since April 24, 2025, had forced Air India’s long-haul flights to North America to make fuel stops in cities like Vienna and Copenhagen, adding three to six hours to their journeys.
[Image: Map illustrating rerouted flight paths, similar to the examples provided by FlightRadar24 for Air India]
The developing situation adds further complexity for carriers already grappling with operational challenges from other regional conflicts. The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) voiced concern over the impact, stating, “Apart from cost and operational disruption, there are safety concerns as GPS spoofing interfering with flight operations over conflict zones is one of highest risks the industry faces,” as per Reuters.
Pakistani authorities reported that 57 international flights were operating in Pakistan’s airspace when India allegedly struck. A statement from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office, quoted by Reuters, claimed India’s action “caused grave danger to commercial airlines.”
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