Asian carriers cancel, reroute flights due to Pakistan-India hostilities

ISLAMABAD (REUTERS): Several Asian airlines said on Wednesday they were re-routing or cancelling flights to and from Europe because of fighting between India and Pakistan.

More than two dozen international flights were diverted to avoid Pakistan airspace. By Wednesday morning local time, airlines had cancelled 52 flights to or from Pakistan, according to FlightRadar24.

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There were 57 international flights operating in Pakistan’s airspace when India struck, according to a Pakistan army spokesperson.

Domestic flights in both countries were also disrupted. India shut several airports and as a result, flights belonging to Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air were cancelled. IndiGo shares were down 1.8%.

Images from the flight tracking website showed that the northwestern airspace of India and Pakistan’s entire airspace were nearly free of civilian aircraft, barring a few flights.

Earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reversed its earlier 48-hour NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) on the temporary closure of Pakistani airspace, allowing regular aircraft operations over key cities such as Lahore and Karachi.

According to a new NOTAM issued by the CAA, the prior restriction on airspace access has been revoked, allowing both domestic and foreign aircraft to continue operations along previously impacted air routes.

The development comes at a time of heightened regional tensions, causing officials to take preventive measures. However, the CAA underlined that individual airlines make the final choice on flight schedules and routing.

“In view of the evolving regional situation, passengers are advised to stay in contact with their respective airlines for updated information regarding their flights,” the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.