TAIPEI — Several Asian airlines announced on Wednesday (May 7) that they were rerouting or canceling flights to and from Europe due to the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan. India launched attacks on Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir, while Pakistan claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets, marking the most intense fighting in over twenty years between the two nuclear-powered nations.

Taiwan's Eva Air stated that it would adjust its European flights to avoid airspace impacted by the conflict for safety reasons. One flight from Vienna will return to the city, and a flight from Taipei to Milan will be rerouted to Vienna for refueling before continuing to its destination, according to the airline's statement. Korean Air has been avoiding Pakistani airspace on flights between Incheon, South Korea, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

Taiwan's China Airlines said it had implemented its contingency plan and taken several measures to ensure passenger and crew safety, though it did not provide further details. According to Taoyuan International Airport's website, China Airlines' non-stop flight from Taipei to London was canceled on Wednesday. Prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, many flights from Taiwan to Europe flew over Russia. However, Taiwanese airlines are now prohibited from doing so after Taiwan joined Western sanctions on Moscow and generally fly over India, Pakistan, and Central Asia instead.