A total of 27 airports across northern, western, and central India have been closed for commercial operations until 5:29 am on Saturday, May 10, ToI reported on Thursday.
The airport closures have led to massive disruption in air traffic, with Indian carriers cancelling 430 flights on Thursday—about 3% of the country’s total scheduled flights. Airlines in Pakistan cancelled over 147 flights, which amounted to 17% of their daily schedules.
Flightradar24, a global flight tracking platform, indicated that the airspace over Pakistan and the western corridor of India—from Kashmir to Gujarat—was largely free of civilian aircraft on Thursday. “Airspace over Pakistan and the western shoulder of India between Kashmir and Gujarat was free of civilian air traffic as airlines shunned the sensitive zone,” it noted, sharing live flight path data and cancellation figures.
Also read: Pahalgam avenged: India's midnight strike destroys more than 70 Pak terror targets
The affected Indian airports include Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda, Halwara, Pathankot, Bhuntar, Shimla, Gaggal, Dharamsala, Kishangarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Mundra, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Kandla, Keshod, Bhuj, Gwalior and Hindon. Airports primarily used for military charters have also been included in the shutdown.
Airlines across the board have been rerouting or cancelling flights to avoid the sensitive zone. On Wednesday, around 250 flights had already been cancelled. Air India said two of its international flights bound for Amritsar had to be diverted to Delhi. American Airlines also cancelled its Delhi–New York flight.
Operation Sindoor Live Updates: Pakistan Army resorts to unprovoked fire using artillery guns, small arms; Indian army retaliates
Most foreign carriers have stopped using Pakistani airspace, opting instead to reroute their services through safer routes over Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Flights across India affected; airlines issue advisories
Over 300 flights were cancelled and operations at 21 airports across northern and western India were suspended on Wednesday after the Indian armed forces launched missile strikes on terror targets in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor. Airports in key northern and western cities, including Srinagar, Leh, Jammu, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Jodhpur, have been shut, while others such as Delhi have seen partial disruptions, with over 140 flights cancelled.
The suspended airports span across Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi NCR. This has caused a ripple effect on airline operations across the country, with several carriers announcing widespread flight cancellations and advising passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. Airlines that have issued public advisories include IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air. International carriers with scheduled services to Amritsar and Delhi have also been impacted, with some flights being rerouted or cancelled altogether.
In separate posts on social media platform X, these airlines cautioned travellers about the changes and disruptioins in flying schedules.
IndiGo
IndiGo informed passengers that its services to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, and Dharamshala were being affected due to changing airspace conditions. The airline specifically advised travellers to check their flight status before proceeding to the airport. IndiGo also indicated that flights operating in and out of Bikaner would face similar disruptions owing to the restrictions in place.
"Continuing our efforts to provide support to our customers and accommodate their travel plan changes, we are extending full waiver of change and cancellation fees for travel to/from Srinagar until 22nd May 2025, for bookings made on or before 22nd April 2025," IndiGo said in a post on X on Thursday.
Air India
Air India, in its own advisory, stated that it had cancelled all flights to and from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot until 12 noon on May 7, pending further updates from regulatory authorities. The airline added that two international flights headed to Amritsar were being diverted to Delhi as a result of airspace closures. Air India Express, the airline’s low-cost arm, also acknowledged that multiple flights across its network were affected and encouraged customers to ensure their contact information was updated to receive notifications in real time through its website.
SpiceJet
SpiceJet echoed similar concerns in its announcement, noting that flights operating to and from Dharamshala, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, and Amritsar were suspended until further notice. The airline highlighted that both departures and arrivals, along with consequential connecting flights, would be impacted by the airport closures. It advised travellers to plan their journeys accordingly and stay informed via the airline's official communication channels.
Akasa Air
Akasa Air, while not listing affected routes individually, also issued a travel advisory in response to the escalating situation. The airline urged passengers to monitor their bookings and stay updated through its website and helplines. Given that Akasa operates to several affected northern cities, including Srinagar and Chandigarh, its operations have been significantly disrupted as well.
The airport closures have led to massive disruption in air traffic, with Indian carriers cancelling 430 flights on Thursday—about 3% of the country’s total scheduled flights. Airlines in Pakistan cancelled over 147 flights, which amounted to 17% of their daily schedules.
Flightradar24, a global flight tracking platform, indicated that the airspace over Pakistan and the western corridor of India—from Kashmir to Gujarat—was largely free of civilian aircraft on Thursday. “Airspace over Pakistan and the western shoulder of India between Kashmir and Gujarat was free of civilian air traffic as airlines shunned the sensitive zone,” it noted, sharing live flight path data and cancellation figures.
Also read: Pahalgam avenged: India's midnight strike destroys more than 70 Pak terror targets
The affected Indian airports include Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda, Halwara, Pathankot, Bhuntar, Shimla, Gaggal, Dharamsala, Kishangarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Mundra, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Kandla, Keshod, Bhuj, Gwalior and Hindon. Airports primarily used for military charters have also been included in the shutdown.
Airlines across the board have been rerouting or cancelling flights to avoid the sensitive zone. On Wednesday, around 250 flights had already been cancelled. Air India said two of its international flights bound for Amritsar had to be diverted to Delhi. American Airlines also cancelled its Delhi–New York flight.
Operation Sindoor Live Updates: Pakistan Army resorts to unprovoked fire using artillery guns, small arms; Indian army retaliates
Most foreign carriers have stopped using Pakistani airspace, opting instead to reroute their services through safer routes over Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Flights across India affected; airlines issue advisories
Over 300 flights were cancelled and operations at 21 airports across northern and western India were suspended on Wednesday after the Indian armed forces launched missile strikes on terror targets in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor. Airports in key northern and western cities, including Srinagar, Leh, Jammu, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Jodhpur, have been shut, while others such as Delhi have seen partial disruptions, with over 140 flights cancelled.
The suspended airports span across Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi NCR. This has caused a ripple effect on airline operations across the country, with several carriers announcing widespread flight cancellations and advising passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. Airlines that have issued public advisories include IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air. International carriers with scheduled services to Amritsar and Delhi have also been impacted, with some flights being rerouted or cancelled altogether.
In separate posts on social media platform X, these airlines cautioned travellers about the changes and disruptioins in flying schedules.
IndiGo
IndiGo informed passengers that its services to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, and Dharamshala were being affected due to changing airspace conditions. The airline specifically advised travellers to check their flight status before proceeding to the airport. IndiGo also indicated that flights operating in and out of Bikaner would face similar disruptions owing to the restrictions in place.
"Continuing our efforts to provide support to our customers and accommodate their travel plan changes, we are extending full waiver of change and cancellation fees for travel to/from Srinagar until 22nd May 2025, for bookings made on or before 22nd April 2025," IndiGo said in a post on X on Thursday.
Air India
Air India, in its own advisory, stated that it had cancelled all flights to and from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot until 12 noon on May 7, pending further updates from regulatory authorities. The airline added that two international flights headed to Amritsar were being diverted to Delhi as a result of airspace closures. Air India Express, the airline’s low-cost arm, also acknowledged that multiple flights across its network were affected and encouraged customers to ensure their contact information was updated to receive notifications in real time through its website.
SpiceJet
SpiceJet echoed similar concerns in its announcement, noting that flights operating to and from Dharamshala, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, and Amritsar were suspended until further notice. The airline highlighted that both departures and arrivals, along with consequential connecting flights, would be impacted by the airport closures. It advised travellers to plan their journeys accordingly and stay informed via the airline's official communication channels.
Akasa Air
Akasa Air, while not listing affected routes individually, also issued a travel advisory in response to the escalating situation. The airline urged passengers to monitor their bookings and stay updated through its website and helplines. Given that Akasa operates to several affected northern cities, including Srinagar and Chandigarh, its operations have been significantly disrupted as well.
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