India-Pak Tensions: Air France, Lufthansa Stop Flying Over Pakistan Airspace

New Delhi: Leading global airlines Air France and Lufthansa have stopped flying over Pakistani airspace to ensure safety of the flights amid rising tensions in the region, after the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack claimed the lives of 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

Air France in a statement said that “due to recent tensions between India and Pakistan, the airline has decided to suspend overflight of Pakistan until further notice.”

Similarly, German airline Lufthansa also said in that its aircraft are “avoiding Pakistani airspace until further notice”.

Flight tracking data also indicates that international airlines have started avoiding Pakistani airspace and taking more circuitous routes to avoid the potential danger to the flights.

Lufthansa said it was avoiding Pakistani airspace even though it means that will result in longer flight times on some routes to Asia. The airline also stated that it is closing monitoring developments in the region.

Flight tracking data showed flights of British Airways, Swiss International Air Lines and Emirates turning away from Pakistan airspace to take longer routes to their destinations despite the higher fuel burn.

The airline has cancelled its flights to Almaty and Tashkent as these destinations are now outside the operational range of IndiGo’s current fleet.

Air India has also said that its flights to or from North America, UK, Europe, and Middle East will take an alternative extended route which will entail longer flying time and higher fuel costs.

The earnings of cash-strapped Pakistan from overflight fees are also expected to take a hit with leading airlines avoiding the country’s airspace.

Air India and IndiGo have already announced that their international flights will take an alternative extended route, after Pakistan closed its airspace for India amid rising diplomatic tensions following the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack.

IndiGo said international routes operated by the airline will require longer sectors and hence subject to some slight schedule adjustments due to the need to avoid Pakistan airspace.

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