Escalating Security Situation Between India & Pakistan Causes First Flight Reroutings

Traditional foes India and Pakistan are currently facing another high-profile security escalation that might very well end in yet another war between the two countries and as a result, Air India was forced to react and reroute flights.

Pakistan has closed access to its airspace for all Indian airlines, forcing Air India to reroute a good part of the international flight network that would have otherwise crossed Pakistani territory.

The last thing the world needs right now is yet another flashpoint, especially between two nuclear-armed nations, in this case India and Pakistan. The past has shown how fast that region can spiral into a hot war, and hopefully, it can still be avoided.

According to Reuters, the situation is escalating by the hour, with each side imposing draconian measures on the other.

Pakistan closed its air space for Indian airlines and rejected New Delhi’s suspension of a critical water sharing treaty on Thursday in retaliation for India’s response to a deadly Islamist militant attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir.

The tit-for-tat announcements took relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours, who have fought three wars, to the lowest level in years.

The latest diplomatic crisis was triggered by the killing of 26 men at a popular tourist destination in Indian Kashmir on Tuesday, in the worst attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai shootings. …

On Thursday, Pakistan said it was closing its air space to Indian-owned or operated airlines, suspending all trade including through third countries and halting special South Asian visas issued to Indian nationals.

Islamabad will also exercise the right to hold all bilateral accords with India, including the 1972 Simla Agreement, in abeyance until New Delhi desists from “fomenting terrorism inside Pakistan”, Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s office said in a statement.

The Simla Agreement was signed after the third war between the two countries and lays down principles meant to govern bilateral relations, including respect for a ceasefire line in Kashmir.

There was no immediate response from New Delhi to Pakistan’s announcement. …

PM Modi has called an all-party meeting with opposition parties later on Thursday to brief them on the government’s response to the attack.

In New Delhi, dozens of protesters gathered outside the Pakistani embassy in the diplomatic enclave, shouting slogans and pushing against police barricades.

A film that starred Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in the lead with Bollywood actor Vaani Kapoor will now not be released in India, local media reported, citing federal information ministry sources.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were weak even before the latest measures were announced as Pakistan had expelled India’s envoy and not posted its own ambassador in New Delhi after India revoked the semi-autonomous status of Kashmir in 2019. …

This is usually how wars start. Sabre rassling and then either side being too dug in to withdraw some measures without looking weak.

The U.S. Department of State has issued a travel advisory for India, but this only advises against travel to Kashmir and Jammu.

Likewise, there is a travel advisory for Pakistan with threat level 3, which says:

Reconsider travel to Pakistan due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict.  Some areas have increased risk.  Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Do Not Travel to:

Balochistan Province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province, which include the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), due to terrorism.

The immediate vicinity of the India-Pakistan border and the Line of Control due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict.

This notice was last updated in late March before this crisis materialized.

It goes without saying that traveling to the region for business or pleasure is probably not the best idea at the moment.

The prudent decision would be to sit this one out and resume travel when the situation has cleared up and the threat level has reduced significantly.

Air India has issued the following statement on X and on their website concerning flight reroutings:

Should there be a serious crisis developing, then no doubt other airlines will take voluntary action as well, which includes reroutings and cancellations. I suggest keeping an eye on this. The flight corridor over India is important for most flights between Europe and Asia. Even more so these days as most airlines have elected not to fly over Russia.

Conclusion

There is currently an escalating security situation unfolding between India and Pakistan, which might end up in armed conflict, and Air India was forced to reroute its flights after Pakistan closed its airspace to all Indian flights.

In the meanwhile, India has also suspended all visas for Pakistani nationals in the country and set a soon-expiring deadline when all such Passport/Visa holders have to leave the country, which will no doubt cause major upheaval as well.

Despite the conflict between the two governments, people often have families residing in both countries, given the geopolitical history of the two nations. It’s rarely the private citizens (civilians) who want war, it’s usually the politicians and military leaders. Hopefully this will be resolved for the good of all parties involved.

In the meanwhile, if you’re traveling to/from/via India, I recommend checking with your airline and adhering to the travel advisories of your government.

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