A Finnair aircraft takes off at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Vantaa. Photo: Vesa Moilanen / Lehtikuva
- Next Article Simon Ekpa suspected of terrorism offences in Finland
Finnair has rerouted several of its long-haul flights after airspace restrictions were imposed over Pakistan due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
The airline confirmed on Wednesday that two flights had already been diverted: one from Helsinki to Delhi and another from Singapore to Helsinki. Both routes were adjusted after Pakistan began closing certain air corridors in response to Indian military strikes.
Suvi Aaltonen, Finnair’s communications manager, said the changes are currently limited to flights to and from India, particularly those involving Delhi. She confirmed that no flights had been cancelled.
The flight to Delhi, already airborne at the time of the strikes, made an unscheduled fuel stop in Baku, Azerbaijan. It then continued via a longer route that avoided Pakistani airspace. The return flight from Singapore was redirected through Doha, Qatar.
“The rerouting has a significant impact on the flight duration for the Delhi route,” Aaltonen said. “Flights to Delhi will now take several hours longer than usual.”
Finnair’s next scheduled flight to Delhi was due to depart Helsinki-Vantaa Airport on Wednesday evening. Aaltonen said final routing decisions for that flight were still under review.
Most of Finnair’s other Asia-bound services typically fly north of Pakistan and remain unaffected. Aaltonen added that the airline is monitoring the situation continuously in coordination with authorities and other airlines.
Finnair was slower to reroute compared to several major carriers, including Air France and Lufthansa, which announced changes on Tuesday. Data from the Flightradar24 tracking service showed Finnair flights still traversing Pakistani airspace as late as 9pm Finnish time on Tuesday. Other carriers, including Emirates, Saudia, and Turkish Cargo, had already diverted.
Asked about the timing, Aaltonen said Finnair makes independent safety assessments based on information from global aviation authorities and real-time intelligence.
“We observed throughout the day that the airspace remained safe,” she said. “Only later in the evening did we determine that some corridors were being closed by Pakistan, prompting us to reroute.”
Päivyt Tallqvist, Finnair’s director of communications, added that passenger and crew safety remains the airline’s highest priority.
“We continuously monitor the status of global airspace and follow official guidance,” she said. “Our actions reflect evolving assessments and the information available at the time.”
There has been no indication that any Finnair flights were in danger. Aaltonen stressed that the airline would never operate a route if there were any concerns flagged in its risk evaluations.
India has claimed responsibility for strikes on nine targets in Pakistan and in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Pakistan reported the use of missiles in three locations. The developments have led several airlines in Asia to revise or suspend flight routes to and from Europe.
Finnair said the duration and scope of the rerouting measures remain uncertain. The airline is maintaining flexibility and will continue to update its operational decisions based on emerging information and government guidance.
HT
- Next Article Simon Ekpa suspected of terrorism offences in Finland
Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
