Following India’s targeted military strikes under Operation Sindoor on 6 May 2025, major commercial airlines are rerouting flights to avoid Pakistani and northern Indian airspace. The attacks on nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have sharply escalated regional tensions, triggering reciprocal airspace restrictions, flight cancellations, and airport shutdowns.
Both nations closed their airspace to each other’s carriers, forcing international airlines to reroute over the Arabian Sea, Central Asia, or the Gulf. These detours have added flight time and increased operational costs due to longer, fuel-intensive paths.
Flightradar24 reported that there have been 430 cancellations in India and 147 in Pakistan as of 7 May 2025. In India, at least 17 airports including those near the Pakistan border have ceased operations.
An update on flight cancellations logged in India and Pakistan as of 10:30UTC.
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) May 7, 2025
🇮🇳 430 cancellations (3% of scheduled flights)
🇵🇰 147 cancellations (17% of scheduled flights) https://t.co/dqUn09NbLW
“Due to government notification on airspace restrictions, over 165 IndiGo flights from multiple airports (Amritsar, Bikaner, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Gwalior, Jammu, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Leh, Rajkot, and Srinagar) are cancelled until 0529 hrs IST of 10 May 2025. Customers are encouraged to check their flight status on our website or mobile app before heading to the airport,” India’s largest airline IndiGo, said in a statement.
Air India shared on social media that “Customers holding valid tickets for travel during this period will be offered a one-time waiver on rescheduling charges or a full refund for cancellations.”
#TravelAdvisory
— Air India (@airindia) May 7, 2025
Air India flights to and from the following stations – Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot – are being cancelled till 0529 hrs IST on 10 May following a notification from aviation authorities on closure of these…
International airlines have adjusted their routes to bypass Pakistani airspace. In an X post, Qatar Airways announced that there will be a “temporary operational adjustment” to their flights to and from Pakistan and India. Similarly, Air France announced it will not fly over the South Asian country for the time being according to a statement shared with CNN.
Temporary operational adjustments of our flights to/from Pakistan and India:
— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) May 7, 2025
For updated travel schedules, please visit https://t.co/1T0MS4AJnD
For customer care, please visit https://t.co/UF4D7GOWI5
Passenger safety and security remains our highest priority.
Lufthansa, Germany’s main airline, is following the same path, and has also told Reuters they will be “avoiding Pakistani airspace until further notice.” Now, the Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to New Delhi takes almost one hour longer because of the reroute.
Flight tracking data has also indicated that several flights operated by British Airways, Swiss International Air Lines, and Emirates experienced rerouting over the Arabian Sea. Their trajectories have been shifting toward Delhi in avoidance of Pakistani airspace.
Asian airlines are adapting as well. Taiwan’s EVA Air has redirected its Europe-bound flights, causing a 1.7% drop in its stock value following the announcement. Thai Airways and Vietnam Airlines have also revised flight plans for upcoming Europe routes, citing safety concerns and geopolitical risk. Korean Air as well as Taiwan’s China Airlines have also opted for other routes to ensure passenger and crew safety.
