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27 airports in India closed to flights, large-scale exercises launched

08 May 2025 10:27 (UTC +04:00)

Airport closures in India's central, western, and northern areas have caused severe disruptions to air travel throughout the nation, APA reports citing Oneindia.

As tensions continue to rise following India's precision missile strikes under Operation Sindoor, 27 airports have been closed to commercial traffic till 5:29 AM on Saturday, May 10. Both domestic and international airlines have been forced to reroute flights and cancel many flights as a result of these closures.

The Times of India reported that Pakistani airlines cancelled more than 147 flights, or about 17% of their daily operations, while Indian carriers cancelled 430 flights on Thursday alone, or around 3% of their total scheduled services. Important hubs like Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Chandigarh, Amritsar, and Jodhpur are among the Indian airports that are impacted.

The suspension also applies to airports that are mostly used for military transportation. The flight tracking website Flightradar24 said that there were hardly no civilian aircraft operating in the airspace above Pakistan and western India, from Kashmir to Gujarat, on Thursday. Airlines have started diverting their flights to safer airways and avoiding the area completely.

The majority of international airlines have chosen to take routes over Mumbai and Ahmedabad rather than entering Pakistani territory.

Before Thursday's slew of problems, roughly 250 flights had already been cancelled and operations at 21 airports had already been suspended on Wednesday. The impact is felt throughout the Indian aviation network, affecting airports in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and portions of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi NCR.

Powered By A number of airlines have notified the public and asked travellers to check flight statuses before leaving for the airport. Major Indian airlines have reported flight cancellations, route adjustments, and operational interruptions, including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air.