TAIPEI (Reuters) - Some Asian airlines on Wednesday said they were re-routing or cancelling flights to and from Europe because of fighting between India and Pakistan.
India attacked Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir, and Pakistan said it had shot down five Indian fighter jets in the worst fighting in more than two decades between the nuclear-armed enemies.
Taiwan's EVA Air said that it will adjust its flights to and from Europe to avoid airspace affected by fighting between India and Pakistan for safety reasons.
One flight from Vienna will be diverted back to that city, while a flight from Taipei to Milan will be diverted to Vienna for refuelling before continuing on to its destination, the airline said in a statement to Reuters.
Korean Air has been avoiding Pakistan airspace for its flights operating between South Korea's Incheon and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Taiwan's China Airlines said it had activated its contingency plan and "taken a series of measures to ensure the safety of its passengers and crew". It did not elaborate.
The website of Taiwan's main international airport at Taoyuan, outside of Taipei, showed that Wednesday's China Airlines non-stop flight to London had been cancelled.
Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, many Europe-bound flights from Taiwan overflew Russia, but Taiwanese airlines are now banned after Taipei joined Western sanctions on Moscow and generally fly over India, Pakistan, and Central Asia.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Jin Hyun Joo in Seoul; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Michael Perry)
