Taiwanese airline flights to Europe hurt by Pakistan airspace closure

Taipei, May 7 (CNA) Taiwanese carriers have canceled or rescheduled several flights between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and European destinations after Pakistan closed its airspace Wednesday amid escalating tensions in the region.

As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, Taiwan-based China Airlines and EVA Airways had 10 flights affected by the airspace closure announced by Islamabad in response to India's missile attacks targeting Pakistani-controlled territory, according to Taoyuan International Airport Corp.

Most of the 10 flights affected were flights that departed for Europe on Tuesday, including China Airlines flights CI61 to Frankfurt, CI67 to Prague, CI73 to Amsterdam, and CI75 to Rome, which made a technical stop in Bangkok, the company said.

Flight tracking website FlightAware showed that the four flights turned back in mid-air over India or west of India to land in Bangkok, before resuming their journeys to Europe.

Meanwhile, China Airlines flight CI82 from London Heathrow Airport to Taoyuan turned back over the Black Sea and landed in Prague first, and was scheduled to return to Taoyuan International Airport at 11:14 p.m. Wednesday, the carrier's website showed.

China Airlines also canceled flight CI81 departing for London Heathrow on Wednesday morning.

EVA Air flight BR62 departing Vienna on Tuesday initially turned back before entering Afghanistan but it made another turn and continued its journey to Bangkok before returning to Taoyuan International Airport, according to FlightAware.

EVA Air flights BR76 from London Heathrow and BR68 from Amsterdam, which were heading to Taoyuan via Bangkok took a recharted course on their way to the Thai capital, with BR76 scheduled to arrive in Taiwan Wednesday afternoon, according to the EVA Air website.

The carrier's flight BR87, which departed Tuesday for Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, flew south of Pakistan on a recharted course and was diverted to Vienna before continuing to the French capital, the carrier's website showed.

The Indian Armed Forces launched "Operation Sindoor" after Tuesday midnight, hitting targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where India's Ministry of Defense said terrorist attacks against India last month were planned and directed.

India accused Pakistan of backing the attacks on April 22 in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists, killing 26 men, mostly Indian Hindus, a charge Pakistan denies, the Associated Press reported.