07 May 2025 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): Air travel across northern and western India was severely disrupted on Wednesday after over 200 flights were cancelled and 25 airports temporarily shut down operations.
The disruption comes as Indian armed forces launched targeted missile strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) early this morning. The airstrikes, part of “Operation Sindoor”, were in response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.
List of airports shut after Operation Sindoor
As a result of security and airspace restrictions, 25 major airports in India were shut by Wednesday evening. The 25 airports in India that were closed for operations till May 9 are:
1. Chandigarh
2. Srinagar
3. Amritsar
4. Ludhiana
5. Bhuntar
6. Kishangarh
7. Patiala
8. Shimla
9. Gaggal
10. Bhatinda
11. Jaisalmer
12. Jodhpur
13. Bikaner
14. Halwara
15. Pathankot
16. Jammu
17. Leh
18. Mundra
19. Jamnagar
20. Rajkot
21. Porbandar
22. Kandla
23. Keshod
24. Bhuj
25. Thoise
Airlines cancel flights, offer rescheduling waivers
IndiGo was the most affected airline as it cancelled a total of 165 flights. A spokesperson for the airline said, “Due to government notification on airspace restrictions, over 165 IndiGo flights from multiple airports… are cancelled until 0529 hrs IST of 10 May 2025.”
Air India also suspended services to and from several cities, including Jammu, Srinagar, Leh and Amritsar. The airline confirmed, “Air India flights to and from the following stations… are being cancelled till 0529 hrs IST on 10 May following a notification from aviation authorities on the closure of these airports.”
Both IndiGo and Air India are offering waivers on rescheduling charges or full refunds to affected passengers.
Air India Express said in a post on ‘X’, “We are offering a full refund or free rescheduling for our flights to and from Amritsar, Gwalior, Jammu, Srinagar and Hindon until 05:30hrs on 10th May 2025.”
SpiceJet confirmed on social media that airports in northern India — including Dharamshala, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar and Amritsar — are closed until further notice. It added, “Departures, arrivals and consequential flights may be impacted.”
Akasa Air and regional carrier Star Air also cancelled their services to multiple destinations, particularly in the north. Air India Express announced it had cancelled several flights as well, stating, “Multiple flights on our network are impacted… till mid-day.”
35 flights cancelled at Delhi airport
At Delhi Airport, the country’s busiest, at least 35 flights were cancelled since midnight. These included 23 domestic departures, eight arrivals and four international flights.
Foreign carriers, including American Airlines and Qatar Airways, also suspended certain operations. Qatar Airways said it temporarily stopped flying to Pakistan due to the closure of Pakistani airspace.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which manages the Indira Gandhi International Airport, acknowledged the impact, saying, “Kindly note, due to changing airspace conditions some flights have been impacted at Delhi Airport.”
Delhi airport further issued a passenger advisory in light of changing airspace conditions asking the passengers to coordinate with airlines and Air Traffic Control (ATC) to minimize disruptions.
“Due to changing airspace conditions, some flights have been impacted. Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest updates and alternate travel arrangements,” the advisory said.
Dozens of international flights diverted
Flight tracking images accessed by Reuters showed that the north-western skies over India and the entirety of Pakistan’s airspace were nearly empty of commercial aircraft, with only a few flights still visible.
More than 25 international flights have been rerouted to avoid Pakistani airspace following missile strikes by Indian forces on terror targets across the border, reported news agency Reuters.
By Wednesday morning, airlines had cancelled 52 flights to or from Pakistan, according to global flight tracking service FlightRadar24, the report said.
Several international carriers have suspended routes over Pakistan as a precaution. A spokesperson for Dutch airline KLM confirmed it was not flying over Pakistan until further notice. Singapore Airlines also stated that it stopped using Pakistani airspace from 6 May.
Summary: Operation Sindoor fallout causes massive air travel disruption across India and international routes, with 200+ flights cancelled and 25 airports shut.