A sharp escalation in security measures and regional airspace restrictions has left thousands of air passengers stranded at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), as at least 97 flights were cancelled and over 150 delayed on Sunday, according to official airport data.
The ongoing disruption—stemming from the temporary closure of 32 airports across western and northern India—has turned the nation’s busiest airport into a critical transport chokepoint. The affected flights were overwhelmingly domestic—96 of the 97 cancellations—comprising 44 arrivals and 52 departures. The only international flight to be cancelled was a scheduled service to Tel Aviv, Israel. Delays impacted more than 150 flights, with average wait times hovering around 15 minutes, although some passengers reported far longer holds.
This sudden rupture in India’s aviation network follows heightened cross-border hostilities earlier in the week, although a ceasefire agreement was formally reached on Saturday. Nonetheless, airspace and airport restrictions remain in force, raising questions about the resilience of the country’s aviation infrastructure in the face of regional instability. According to a circular issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the 32 airports will remain closed until 0529 hours IST on 15 May 2025. These closures are largely concentrated in areas adjoining the western border, including parts of Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Jammu and Kashmir, reflecting heightened military sensitivity in those regions.
With these airports offline, Delhi’s IGI Airport is currently serving as the primary gateway for much of northern and northwestern India. Nearby city airports like Jaipur, Lucknow, and Dehradun continue to function, but lack the capacity to absorb the passenger spillover from the capital. Officials confirmed that extra security checks have been imposed at all terminals in Delhi, contributing further to delays at check-in, security clearance, and boarding gates. Passengers have been urged by airlines to report at least three hours before departure. Heightened alert protocols, including Secondary Ladder Point Checks (SLPC), have been rolled out across all operational airports, a directive issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) late last week.
Under SLPC guidelines, passengers and their baggage undergo an additional layer of security before boarding, adding another hurdle to an already strained system. Moreover, visitor access to terminals has been entirely suspended, and additional vehicle and passenger inspections are being carried out outside terminal areas. Officials tasked with overseeing aviation security have taken additional steps to secure cargo operations and the In-line Hold Baggage Screening System (ILHBSS)—a key component in airport logistics and baggage handling. While these areas were previously outside the routine scope of aviation security forces, they are now under active surveillance and control, including randomised inspections and access control management.
Airport sources reported that nearly all carriers operating out of Delhi are experiencing cascading operational issues due to the airspace disruption. The unpredictability of incoming and outgoing flights has led to a backlog in aircraft availability, causing knock-on effects for routes well beyond the affected zone. The situation remains fluid, with airlines adjusting schedules in real-time. The suddenness and scale of the disruption raise critical questions about contingency planning in Indian civil aviation. In an era where aviation is central to economic activity and domestic mobility, India’s airport infrastructure—especially in conflict-prone or strategically sensitive regions—appears exposed to significant vulnerabilities.
These delays and cancellations are also contributing to an unanticipated rise in road and rail demand, as passengers scramble for alternative means of transport. Platforms and highways around Delhi have seen increased congestion, as travellers shift to buses and trains, further burdening the capital’s overstretched mobility infrastructure. From an environmental and sustainability perspective, such breakdowns in mass air transport systems could exacerbate emissions and fossil fuel use in the short term, as stranded passengers increasingly rely on private or long-distance road transport. It also underscores the importance of diversified, resilient, and multimodal transport planning to ensure urban centres like Delhi can adapt quickly to disruptions—be they political, environmental, or infrastructural.
Airline and airport operators are attempting to maintain transparency by issuing real-time advisories, but traveller frustration is mounting. Many domestic travellers—especially those heading to smaller cities without functioning airports—are left with limited, often inaccessible alternatives. For passengers with urgent needs, including medical or business commitments, the lack of clarity over resumption timelines is fuelling discontent. Airline operators are also facing intense logistical challenges in repositioning crews and aircraft across the country. Ground staff, security personnel, and airport management teams are working under pressure, with extended duty hours becoming the norm. Despite these efforts, operations remain far from normal.
The DGCA and aviation stakeholders are expected to meet early this week to assess the situation and discuss the phased reopening of airspace and affected airports, provided the security situation stabilises. While Delhi Airport remains operational, the incident serves as a sharp reminder of the fragile equilibrium that defines aviation in conflict-sensitive geographies. It also calls for long-term structural investments in aviation resilience, sustainable mobility alternatives, and decentralised airport capacity to avoid bottlenecks during emergencies.
Whether the crisis extends beyond the 15 May timeline or resolves within days will depend largely on geopolitical developments outside the civil aviation ecosystem. But the impact on thousands of commuters, airline crews, and ground staff is already significant and unfolding in real time, bringing human stories of uncertainty, delays, and disruption to the fore of India’s aviation narrative. As security protocols continue to tighten, the next few days will test not just the operational agility of Indian aviation, but its ability to balance national security with the right to mobility—a critical component in building equitable, accessible, and future-ready cities.
Flight Chaos Hits Delhi as 97 Cancelled 150 Delayed
