At least three major international carriers — British Airways, Emirates, and Saudia — have confirmed the cancellation of scheduled services to key Pakistani cities, including Islamabad and Lahore.
Also read | Operation Sindoor LIVE Updates: ‘Moment of Pride for all of us’, says PM ModiBritish Airways cancelled flight BA2161 operating on the London–Islamabad route. Emirates, one of the busiest international airlines in the region, called off two of its services: EK624 from Dubai to Lahore and EK612 from Dubai to Islamabad. Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) also suspended two services: SV722, which was scheduled to fly from Jeddah to Islamabad, and SV738, from Jeddah to Lahore.
Foreign airlines avoid flying to Pakistan
Meanwhile, Asian airlines including China Airlines and Korean Air said on Wednesday they were re-routing or cancelling flights to and from Europe, and about a dozen Indian airports were shut after fighting erupted between the two neighbouring countries.
Images from flight tracking websites after the attack showed many flights passing over Oman, UAE and Kuwait, raising the possibility of airspace congestion. However, authorities in Pakistan told Reuters that there 57 international flights were operating in Pakistan’s airspace when India struck, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said India’s action “caused grave danger to commercial airlines” belonging to Gulf.Also Read | Operation Sindoor: Several airports shut in Indo-Pak border states as India strikes terrorist sites in Pakistan
Over the past few days, both India and Pakistan had shut their airspaces to each other’s carriers while Global airlines like Lufthansa have been avoiding Pakistani airspace.
Korean Air said it had begun rerouting its Seoul Incheon–Dubai flights on Wednesday, opting for a southern route that passes over Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India, instead of the previous path through Pakistani airspace.
Thai Airways said flights to destinations in Europe and South Asia would be rerouted starting early Wednesday morning, while China Airlines said flights to and from destinations including London, Frankfurt and Rome had been disrupted.
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Flights from India to Europe were also seen taking longer routes. Lufthansa flight LH761 from Delhi to Frankfurt took about half an hour more to reach its destination compared to Tuesday, according to FlightRadar24.
“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,” FlightRadar24 said in a statement.
(With inputs from Reuters)
