13 flights at Taoyuan airport affected by India-Pakistan conflict

Taipei, May 8 (CNA) Several flights at Taoyuan International Airport have been canceled or delayed due to the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, according to airport data.

In total, 13 flights at Taoyuan airport have been affected as of Thursday, with three of them canceled, and 10 delayed, the data shows.

The airport said the flight paths for aircraft traveling from Taiwan to Europe had been adjusted, but the flights were all currently on time.

The delay and cancellation of flights to Pakistan and India resulted from the current conflict between the two countries, which has escalated in recent days.

Pakistan on Wednesday announced a 48-hour airspace closure, and later that night it closed its airspace to all commercial flights at Lahore and Islamabad airports. Multiple airports in India have also been closed, according to international news reports.

The closures came amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan in recent weeks, following the death of 26 people -- most of them Indian tourists -- when gunmen in April stormed a scenic mountain area of Kashmir administered by India.

India blamed Pakistan for the attack, while Islamabad denied the claim.

On Wednesday, India launched retaliatory military strikes against Pakistan, saying it had targeted two militant groups and "terrorist infrastructure" during the operation, which lasted 25 minutes.

Pakistan gave a different account, saying civilians were killed and mosques were hit during the strike. It also said it had shot down five Indian Air Force jets.

On Wednesday, Taiwanese carrier China Airlines (CAL) issued some guidelines for its passengers and those booked with the subsidiary Mandarin Airlines, who may have been affected by the flight cancellations and delays.

Passengers holding tickets for CAL flights between Taiwan and Europe can change their flights once free of cost, if they were booked to travel after May 6 on flights that have now been canceled or delayed for more than two hours, according to the airline.

The free changes apply only in cases where the passenger does not change the route or the flight class, CAL said, adding that the handling and service fees for those flights will be also be waived.

Passengers who wish to cancel their flights will receive full refunds for any payments for seat selection or extra luggage, the airline said.