New Delhi: A face-off between arch rivals India and Pakistan leading to fighter-jet combat is disrupting a key transcontinental route for commercial planes between Europe and Asia.
With the South Asian nations claiming they have shot down each other’s military aircraft, Pakistan has closed its entire airspace — forcing Singapore Airlines Ltd. to cancel a flight from Frankfurt to Singapore. Even westbound flights to London and Frankfurt have been forced to divert, causing them to make refueling stops in Dubai or Mumbai, the carrier said in a statement.
The South Asian nations are engaged in the most serious military confrontation in decades, after India said on Tuesday it killed hundreds of militants in a camp inside Pakistan. Pakistan retaliated by shooting down two Indian aircraft and capturing at least one pilot, while India said it downed a Pakistani jet.
