KLM cancels flights to and from Asia over Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

KLM canceled flights on Wednesday to and from Asia due to the tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, despite a ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh region declared on Wednesday afternoon. The flights canceled are those heading to or coming from Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo, and Shanghai.

According to a spokesperson, KLM will reroute flights to and from these destinations for the rest of the week.

Should customers wish to rebook, that option is available to them. KLM said that they do not want to take any risks and stressed that safety is their top priority. The airline uses a so-called security management system to analyze risks and determine safe flight routes.

Azerbaijan attacked on Tuesday Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian-inhabited Azerbaijani region. KLM decided on Tuesday to avoid the airspace above Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The ethnically Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh have agreed to a ceasefire with Azerbaijan on Wednesday. A day earlier, Azerbaijan initiated an "anti-terrorist" operation in the region, which was condemned by the international community. The government in Baku, however, had earlier reported that they would continue until the separatists laid down their arms.

The ceasefire took effect at 01:00 p.m. local time (11:00 a.m. Dutch time).