Asian airlines re-route, cancel flights due to India-Pakistan fighting
Published on: Wed, May 07, 2025
By: AFP Text Size: A truck transports an army tank on a road in Muridke, about 30 kilometres from Lahore, on May 7, 2025. AFPpix TAIPEI: Several Asian airlines said on Wednesday they were re-routing or cancelling flights to and from Europe because of fighting between India and Pakistan. India attacked Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir and Pakistan said it had shot down five Indian fighter jets in the worst fighting in more than two decades between the nuclear-armed enemies. Taiwan's EVA Air said that it will adjust its flights to and from Europe to avoid airspace affected by the fighting between India and Pakistan for safety reasons. One flight from Vienna will be diverted back to that city, while a flight from Taipei to Milan will be diverted to Vienna for refuelling before continuing on to its destination, the airline said in a statement to Reuters. Korean Air said it had begun rerouting its Seoul Incheon–Dubai flights on Wednesday, opting for a southern route that passes over Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India, instead of the previous path through Pakistani airspace. Thai Airways said that flights to destinations in Europe and South Asia would be rerouted starting early on Wednesday morning, warning this could cause delays to some flights. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
‘Stop production': Small US firms hit by tariff changes
WASHINGTON: When US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on almost all trading partners in April, Ben Knepler contacted the factory in Cambodia producing his company's outdoor furniture. 'Stop production,' he ordered. The announcement involved a 10% levy on imports from most partners, set to rise further for many of them. For Cambodia, the planned duty was a staggering 49%. 'That night, we spoke to our factory,' Knepler told AFP. 'We literally cannot afford to bring our own product into the US with that kind of tariff.' The decision was even more painful for Knepler and his Pennsylvania-based company True Places, given that he had previously shifted production of his outdoor chairs to Cambodia from China, following tariffs on Chinese imports imposed by Trump during his first presidency. 'We were facing 25% tariffs in China, and there were 0% tariffs in Cambodia,' Knepler recalled. It took him a year to move the massive equipment and molds to Cambodia only to see another steep levy. With Trump's 'reciprocal' tariff hikes taking effect last Thursday, these Cambodia-made chairs face a lower – though still significant – 19% duty. Knepler's experience echoes that of many US companies producing everything from yo-yos to clothing abroad, after years of offshoring American manufacturing. To cope, businesses use various strategies. Some pass on the new costs as a surcharge to customers. Others halted imports when duties reached prohibitive levels, hoping Trump would strike bilateral trade deals that would make their businesses viable again. Trump frames his tariffs as paid for by other countries, touting tens of billions in revenue this year – but firms contest this description. 'We make the tariff payments when the product comes into the US,' Knepler stressed. 'Before we sell it, we're the ones who pay that tariff.' Now saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt he took on to relocate the company's production to Cambodia. He likens the rapid policy changes to spinning a 'wheel of misfortune,' resulting in a new tariff each time. Over four months this year, the planned tariff rate on Cambodian exports has gone from 0% to 49%, to 10%, to 36%, to 19%, he said. 'No one knows what it's going to be tomorrow,' he added. 'It's impossible to have any kind of confidence in what the rate will be in three- or four-months' time.' Economists warn that tariffs could fuel inflation and drag on growth. EY chief economist Gregory Daco noted that the duties effective Thursday raise the average tariff rate to 17.6% from 2.8% at the start of the year – the highest level since the early 1930s. While Trump lauds the limited effects his duties have had on US prices so far, experts say tariffs take time to filter through to consumers. Many of Trump's sweeping levies also face legal challenges over his use of emergency economic powers. Barton O'Brien said he accelerated production and borrowed money to bring in as much inventory as possible before Trump took office. On the election campaign trail, the Republican leader had floated a 60% tariff on imports from China, where O'Brien makes most of his products. The Maryland-based veteran selling dog harnesses and other accessories rented a container to ship as many products as he could before Trump's new tariffs would take effect. There is 'no way' to produce domestically, he said, adding that comparable US-made products sell for nearly six times his retail prices.
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Nepal waives climbing fees for 97 mountain peaks
A view of Mount Everest from Gokyo Valley. - Photo: Shutterstock KATHMANDU: Nepal has waived climbing fees for 97 mountains, officials said on Wednesday (Aug 13), hoping to steer people to its lesser-known peaks and boost local economies. Climbers pay for permits on Nepali peaks and the fees vary depending on the mountain's height and popularity, with heftier charges for those such as Everest. The 97 mountains, ranging in height from 5,870 metres (19,300 feet) to 7,132 metres, are located in the western Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces. "We hope it will bring our hidden treasures in the limelight and diversify the mountains Nepal offers," Himal Gautam, of Nepal's tourism department, told AFP. It follows a busy spring climbing season in Nepal during which the government issued 1,168 climbing permits. Over half of those were for peaks above 8,000 metres, including Everest, the tallest in the world at 8,849 metres. In contrast, others saw little climbing activity and generated minimal revenue from so-called royalty fees. "These remote areas have immense tourism potential and we hope the local economy can benefit," said Gautam. Nima Nuru Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, welcomed the decision but said much more was needed to drive interest in remote mountains. "Royalty fees alone is not keeping mountaineers (away) from these areas. We need to develop the infrastructure and manpower required for running expeditions there," Sherpa said. Nepal is home to eight of the world's 10 highest peaks and welcomes hundreds of climbers every year during the spring and autumn climbing seasons. A boom in climbers has made mountaineering a lucrative business since Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa made the first Everest ascent in 1953. In February, Nepal increased permit fees for Everest from US$11,000 to US$15,000 starting next spring, hoping it will help tackle pollution and boost safety. - AFP
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
South Korean president to meet Japan PM in Tokyo ahead of US talks
SEOUL: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will meet Japan's prime minister in Tokyo next week on his way to a planned sitdown with US President Donald Trump, both governments said Wednesday. Lee had previously announced an August 25 meeting in Washington where he and Trump are to hammer out details of their recent trade deal. His August 23-24 summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will 'solidify the foundation for future-oriented cooperation' between the two leaders, presidential spokeswoman Kang Yu-jung told a press briefing. The two 'will have a frank exchange of views not only on ways to strengthen trilateral cooperation among South Korea, Japan and the United States, but also on regional peace and stability', she added. Tokyo confirmed the visit, describing South Korea as an 'important neighbour Japan should cooperate with as a partner'. 'Under the current strategic environment, the importance of Japan-South Korea relationships and the cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea is only growing,' the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. In return for avoiding threatened tariffs of 25% to 15%, both countries agreed last month to trade deals with Washington involving announcements of huge investments into the United States. The neighbours enjoyed a warm relationship during the presidency of Lee's predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, whose five-year term was cut short by impeachment over his declaration of martial law. Yoon sought to bring the bilateral relationship closer by setting aside historical grievances to better counter North Korea's nuclear threats. But his impeachment and removal from office in April prompted a snap election won by Lee in June. Lee last month told a press conference that Seoul and Tokyo were 'part of the liberal democratic camp, share many common interests in the military sphere, and have significant potential for economic cooperation', adding the two were 'inseparably linked'. – AFP
