Air travel across India has been severely affected following the Indian government’s execution of Operation Sindoor, a missile strike targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
In the wake of the operation, aviation authorities have suspended commercial flights from 27 airports in the northern, western, and central regions until 5:29 AM on Saturday, May 10. The unprecedented closures have led to the cancellation of at least 430 domestic flights on Thursday—about 3% of India’s total scheduled air traffic. Major carriers including IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, and Air India Express have suspended operations at affected locations. Among the impacted airports are Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, and Jodhpur. Airlines have urged passengers to verify flight statuses before travelling to the airport. IndiGo, India’s largest airline by volume, cancelled more than 165 flights from key cities including Amritsar, Jammu, Srinagar, Rajkot, and Leh. It is offering free rescheduling or full refunds for affected passengers. Air India has suspended services to and from cities like Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, and Chandigarh.
It is also offering one-time waivers and full refunds. Akasa Air halted all Srinagar-bound flights till May 9 and is providing free rescheduling within 7 days or full refunds. Similarly, Air India Express suspended services to Amritsar, Gwalior, Jammu, Srinagar, and Hindon. SpiceJet has indefinitely cancelled flights to Dharamshala, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, and Amritsar. The airline has confirmed both departures and connecting flights are impacted. Delhi airport alone reported cancellations of over 140 flights on Wednesday, including several international routes. Flight tracking websites showed vast civilian no-fly zones stretching from Kashmir to Gujarat. Authorities have cited national security and airspace management needs as the reason for the sweeping flight suspensions.
Passengers across affected routes are advised to stay updated via airline websites and apps. The aviation ministry has yet to issue a statement on when normal operations might resume beyond May 10.
