According to a May 7 report by Reuters, many airlines said on the same day that for safety reasons, they would change the routes of their existing flights or cancel them altogether due to the outbreak of armed conflict between India and Pakistan. Industry analysts said that such arrangements would not only affect the airlines' predetermined operational plans and cause inconvenience to passengers, but also result in huge losses for the airlines.

In the military operation launched by India against Pakistan on May 7, India used missiles to attack multiple areas in Pakistan, while Pakistan claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets. This made the airspace of both countries, especially that of Pakistan, very dangerous.

The report stated that after the conflict erupted, more than 20 international flights were forced to detour to avoid Pakistani airspace. According to aviation data website FlightRadar24, as of the morning of the same day in local time, airlines had cumulatively canceled 52 flights departing from or arriving in Pakistan. The Pakistani military spokesman said that when India launched the attack, there were 57 flights in operation over Pakistani airspace.

India was also severely affected. India closed several airports, resulting in the cancellation of a large number of Indigo Airlines, SpiceJet, Akasa Air, and Vistara flights. Flight tracking websites showed that except for a few exceptions, there were almost no civilian aircraft flying in the northwestern airspace of India and the entire Pakistani airspace after the conflict broke out.

Flight tracking website data shows that there are currently only a very small number of civilian aircraft still flying over Pakistan and the northwestern part of India.

Industry insiders said that since airlines generally arrange their aircraft's operational plans very complexly and precisely, and the flight conditions of earlier flights directly affect the subsequent flights, canceling flights will have a significant impact on airlines.

In addition to the airlines of both India and Pakistan, EVA Air of Taiwan said it would adjust its flights to and from Europe for safety reasons to avoid airspace affected by the conflict between India and Pakistan. A flight operated by the company that departed from Vienna has already returned, and another flight from Taipei to Milan will first head to Vienna for refueling after detouring before continuing to its destination.

China Airlines, which also operates in Taiwan, said that its flights to and from London, Frankfurt, Rome, and other places have been affected, with some flights being canceled. Some flights have to make short stops in Bangkok and Prague, refuel, replace crew members, and then detour after landing.

Korean Air also said it had changed the routes of its flights from Seoul and Incheon to Dubai. The new route will pass through Myanmar, Bangladesh, and southern India instead of going through Pakistani airspace. Thai Airways said it would change the specific routes of its flights to Europe and South Asian countries. Vietnam Airlines said that the conflict between India and Pakistan had affected its original flight arrangements and would release updated arrangements later.

In addition, according to a report by the South China Morning Post, European airlines such as Air France and Lufthansa have also modified their flight routes to avoid Pakistan.

Reuters reported in the article that canceling flights and taking detours would undoubtedly result in losses for airlines. Considering that many airlines have already stopped letting flights pass through Russian airspace after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the current conflict between India and Pakistan will reduce the airlines' options for flight routes and increase operating costs.

However, the Asia-Pacific Airlines Association said in a public statement that apart from the problems of rising costs and operational disruptions, safety issues are equally concerning. Civilian aircraft mistakenly entering war zones may encounter GPS signal spoofing interference, which could cause civilian aircraft to deviate from their routes and encounter danger - one of the greatest risks facing the aviation industry.

This article is an exclusive contribution by Guancha Observer and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7501605638431081023/

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