A number of airlines have been forced to re-route and cancel flights, amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
Disruption to commercial aviation in the region has been triggered after India’s military conducted a number of strikes in nine locations within Pakistan on May 7, 2025, reportedly causing the deaths of 26 people. Pakistan’s military has claimed that it its air and air-defences shot down five Indian military combat aircraft.
Escalating tensions between India and Pakistan follow an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 24, 2025, that killed 26 people, including 25 Indian tourists and one Nepali national. Conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours has been simmering ever since, with commercial aviation in the region feeling the brunt.
Pakistan closed its airspace to all Indian registered aircraft following the attack in Kashmir, impacting Indian carriers which operate flights to Europe, North America and parts of the Middle East, relying on Pakistan's airspace. According to a NOTAM issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, the ban will remain in force until May 23, 2025.
In light of these most recent events in the regions, multiple airlines have cancelled flights to several Indian airports which include Jammu Srinagar, Jodhpur and Amritsar, while flights have been cancelled at several Pakistani airports, including in the country’s capital Islamabad.
Data from Flightradar24 shows that in India, 430 flights - representing approximately 3% of scheduled services- were cancelled on May 7, 2025. In Pakistan, 147 flights were scrapped, accounting for about 17% of the country's planned flight schedule for the day.
IndiGo and Air India have both been forced to cancel dozens of services, with Air India forced to divert two international flights en route to Amritsar to Delhi. Just last week it was reported that Air India is expecting to face around $600 million in additional costs if a ban from Pakistani airspace lasts for 12 months, with the flag-carrier supposedly asking India’s government to compensate it for the financial loss.
Qatar Airways said that it has temporarily suspended flights to Pakistan, while Saudia and Turkish Airlines have also cancelled a number of services to and from the country.
A Lufthansa spokesperson told Airline Economics that its airlines are "avoiding Pakistani airspace until further notice, resulting in longer flight times on some routes to Asia”. The spokesperson stated that the carrier is continuing to monitor current developments closely. Similarly, Air France announced the suspension of flights over Pakistan due to the "recent evolution of tensions" between the two countries.
Asian carriers such as China Airlines, EVA Air and Singapore Airlines have also re-routed flights in the region.
Aviation risk assessment solutions provider Osprey, stated in a report that increased military air operations have the potential to cause airspace congestion and impact the safety of civil aviation flights, with any significant increase in the amount of air operations over the country impacting the availability of airports, along with access to the airspace.
The company noted that aviation operators should monitor airport/airspace-specific notices, bulletins, circulars, advisories, prohibitions and restrictions prior to departure to avoid flight schedule disruption