Taiwanese Travelers Stranded: India-Pakistan Conflict Disrupts Flights to Europe

Flight Chaos Ensues as Airspace Closures Leave Taiwanese Passengers Facing Delays and Disruptions.

Recent military tensions between India and Pakistan have led to the closure of multiple airports and airspace restrictions, significantly impacting international flight operations. On May 6th, Pakistan announced a 48-hour closure of its airspace, while several airports in northern India also suspended flights. This situation has severely disrupted the travel plans of many, including Taiwanese passengers.

Several flights operated by Taiwanese airlines such as China Airlines and EVA Air, traveling to and from Europe, were either canceled or rerouted, leaving numerous travelers stranded and facing significant delays. The disruptions have caused considerable inconvenience and frustration.

A Taiwanese traveler, cecilypantw, shared her experience on the social media platform "threads". She was scheduled to fly to Europe for a wedding. Arriving at the airport at 5:00 AM on the day of her flight, she learned just before boarding that her flight was affected. She mentioned that despite having traveled abroad over 80 times, this was her first experience where she had to "return all duty-free items." She found the situation both amusing and frustrating. She also mentioned that her travel insurance might provide approximately NT$100,000 in compensation. She humorously noted that if the policy didn't exclude "war", the non-refundable London hotel booking was suddenly less of a concern.