Air France, Lufthansa, others avoid Pakistan airspace amid India tensions

By Abhijith Ganapavaram and Ariba Shahid

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Air France and Germany's Lufthansa were among global carriers avoiding Pakistani airspace, airlines said and flight-tracking websites showed on Monday, as tension between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan remained high after a deadly attack in Kashmir last month.

India took measures such as closing its airspace to Pakistan airlines, while Pakistan barred those owned or operated by its neighbour, suspended trade and halted special visas for Indians, although it let international airlines use its airspace.

Lufthansa Group's airlines are "avoiding Pakistani airspace until further notice" it said in a statement to Reuters, although that will result in longer flight times on some routes to Asia.

Lufthansa Flight LH760 from Frankfurt to New Delhi had to fly for nearly an hour longer than usual on Sunday because it took a longer route, data from flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed.

Flight-tracking data showed some flights of British Airways, Swiss International Air Lines and Emirates travelling over the Arabian Sea and then turning north towards Delhi in order to avoid Pakistani airspace.

British Airways and Emirates did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Air France said in a statement: "The airline has decided to suspend overflight of Pakistan until further notice," citing the "recent evolution of tensions" between India and Pakistan. 

The carrier said it was altering its flight schedule and flight plans with destinations such as Delhi, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh, entailing longer flight times.

Swiss, owned by Lufthansa Group, said the airline will rebook passengers who miss connecting flights free of charge.

Airlines have also been reacting to developments in the Middle East, with European and U.S. carriers cancelling flights for several days after a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Sunday landed near Israel's Ben Gurion Airport.

Besides the longer distances and higher fuel costs for airlines, Pakistan may see a drop in its earnings from overflight fees, which can run into hundreds of dollars a flight depending on aircraft weight and distance covered. Pakistan's reserves with the central bank stand at $10.2 billion, barely enough to cover two months' worth of imports.

"It could have a significant impact on some foreign airlines who rely heavily on Pakistan airspace as well as for Pakistan given the loss of overflight revenues," independent aviation analyst Brendan Sobie said.

Pakistan's civil aviation authority declined to comment. 

(Reporting by Abhijith Ganapavaram, Ariba Shahid; Editing by Aditya Kalra, Clarence Fernandez, David Evans and Hugh Lawson)