A series of Asian flights were forced to be urgently canceled, what's going on?

Several airlines in Southeast and East Asia have had to cancel or reroute flights as Pakistan and northwestern India temporarily closed their airspace. This comes as tensions between India and Pakistan continue to escalate following airstrikes by New Delhi.

It is unclear how long the airspace closure will last or how long it will take to reroute flights. Data from the flight tracking website Flightradar24 shows that dozens of planes that normally fly over Pakistan and northern India have been diverted over the Red Sea and southern India, adding several hours to flight times.

Due to Pakistan temporarily closing its airspace from 2:55 a.m. on May 7 (Vietnam time), Vietnam Airlines adjusted its flight route to Europe to ensure safety.

On May 7, a number of flights changed their routes to not fly over Pakistan's airspace, including flights VN36 and VN37 between Hanoi and Frankfurt; VN30 and VN31 between Ho Chi Minh City and Frankfurt; VN10 and VN11 between Ho Chi Minh City and Paris; VN18 and VN19 between Hanoi and Paris (France); and VN50 from London (UK) to Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam Airlines said that in the coming time, flights between Vietnam and Europe may continue to be adjusted depending on the situation in the region. The airline closely monitors updates from authorities and informs passengers if there are any changes related to flight itineraries.

Flights from Asia to Europe usually have to fly over India, Pakistan and Central Asia. With the new tensions, a series of international flights have been rerouted to avoid flying over Pakistani airspace.

A series of planes tried to avoid flying over Pakistan (Photo: Flightradar24).

Similarly, Thai Airways said at least eight flights to European cities including London, Munich and Frankfurt would be diverted and delayed. However, flights to Brussels and Paris were not affected. A flight from Frankfurt to Bangkok also made an emergency landing in Dubai.

Thailand's airport authority said it has prepared plans to assist passengers who miss their connecting flights, especially at Suvarnabhumi International Airport (Thailand). However, as of early afternoon, no cases of missed flights have been recorded.

Taoyuan International Airport (Taiwan, China) announced that some flights to Europe were delayed or diverted due to the situation in the South Asia region. Flights to Frankfurt, Vienna, Amsterdam, Rome and London will land in Bangkok. A flight to London on the morning of May 8 was canceled.

Japan Airlines said flights to Doha would be diverted and flights to New Delhi and Bengaluru would carry extra fuel.

Batik Air, an airline belonging to Indonesia's Lion Group, also announced the cancellation of flights to and from Lahore (Pakistan) and Amritsar (India) on May 7-8.

Similarly, Malaysia Airlines confirmed that flights from Kuala Lumpur to Heathrow (London) and Charles de Gaulle (Paris) airports were diverted and made short refueling stops in Doha (Qatar) before continuing their journeys.

"Amritsar Airport in Punjab (India) is temporarily closed from 7-9/5 for security and operational reasons. Therefore, all flights to and from Amritsar during this period will be suspended," Malaysia Airlines announced.

"The safety of our passengers and crew is always our top priority. We are closely monitoring the situation and will take all necessary measures to ensure safe and reliable operations," the airline said.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/loat-chuyen-bay-chau-a-buoc-phai-huy-khan-cap-chuyen-gi-dang-xay-ra-20250507221143283.htm