Commercial flight operations resumed at Srinagar and Jammu airports on Tuesday, six days after being suspended in the wake of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.
With signs of normalcy returning, schools and colleges also reopened in non-border districts across Jammu and Kashmir. Officials confirmed that four commercial flights landed at Srinagar airport, with the first arriving from Delhi around 1:20 pm. On a regular day, the airport facilitates nearly 100 flights, accommodating up to 17,000 passengers. Airlines including Air India, Air India Express, and SpiceJet operate regular services from the airport. Jammu airport director Sanjeev Kumar Garg confirmed the resumption of services on the Delhi-Jammu-Srinagar route. However, Indigo cancelled operations for Tuesday, following reports of drone intrusions in Samba on Monday evening.
The suspension of operations on May 7 followed Operation Sindoor—India’s precision missile response targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)—after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. A total of 32 airports across the country saw temporary disruptions. Javed Anjum, director of Srinagar airport, said Hajj pilgrimage flights, seven of which were cancelled between May 7 and 12, will resume from Wednesday. Revised schedules for the cancelled flights will be released soon, with three Hajj flights slated for May 14 and 15. Meanwhile, academic institutions in non-border districts resumed classes, with students seen heading to school from early morning. “Classwork resumed, and students discussed the tense atmosphere over the last week,” said M Kabir, a high school student in Srinagar.
Kashmir University announced that regular academic activities would recommence from Wednesday, while students from border areas have been advised to return by Monday, May 19. Educational institutions had remained closed since May 9 due to the prevailing situation. With both aviation and academic services restored, the Union Territory is steadily moving back to routine life, though security remains on alert in sensitive regions.
