27 Indian Airports in North, West & Central India Shut Till May 10

5 godzin temu

NEW DELHI- Airlines including IndiGo (6E), Air India (AI), and SpiceJet (SG) cancelled 430 flights at 27 airports, including Srinagar (SXR) and Amritsar (ATQ), closed until May 10, 2025.

The closures, triggered by Operation Sindoor, disrupted travel across northern, western, and central India.

27 Airports Closure

On May 7, 2025, India’s armed forces launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), leading to the closure of 27 airports across northern, western, and central India until 5:29 AM on May 10, 2025.

This resulted in the cancellation of 430 flights, approximately 3% of India’s daily scheduled flights, with IndiGo (6E) alone cancelling over 165 services.

The airspace over Pakistan and India’s western corridor, from Kashmir to Gujarat, saw minimal civilian traffic as airlines rerouted to avoid the sensitive zone.

Pakistan cancelled 147 flights, 17% of its schedule, and closed its airspace, forcing international carriers like Qatar Airways (QR), KLM (KL), and Singapore Airlines (SQ) to detour, adding up to 75 minutes to flight times.

At Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), 140 flights were cancelled, including 4 international services.

Affected Airports

The 27 closed airports include key civilian and dual-use military facilities.

Srinagar (SXR)
Jammu (IXJ)
Leh (IXL)
Amritsar (ATQ)
Chandigarh (IXC)
Ludhiana (LUH)
Patiala (unknown IATA)
Bathinda (BUP)
Halwara (unknown IATA)
Pathankot (IXP)
Bhuntar (KUU)
Shimla (SLV)
Gaggal (DHM)
Dharamsala (DHM)
Kishangarh (KQH)
Jaisalmer (JSA)
Jodhpur (JDH)
Bikaner (BKB)
Mundra (unknown IATA)
Jamnagar (JGA)
Rajkot (RAJ)
Porbandar (PBD)
Kandla (IXY)
Keshod (unknown IATA)
Bhuj (BHJ)
Gwalior (GWL)
Hindon (unknown IATA)

Many are strategic airfields, limiting commercial operations to prioritise defence activities.

The closures disrupted travel in 10 states and Union Territories, with northern cities like Srinagar (SXR) and Amritsar (ATQ) facing complete suspension of civil operations. Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) reported 18 cancellations, including 16 IndiGo (6E) and 2 Air India Express (IX) flights.

Airlines Response

Major airlines issued advisories and offered support to affected passengers.

IndiGo (6E) cancelled flights to these airports, providing full refunds or free rescheduling until May 22, 2025, for bookings made by April 22, 2025.

Air India (AI) cancelled services to 9 airports, offering refunds or alternative flights.

Akasa Air (QP) cancelled all Srinagar (SXR) flights, while Air India Express (IX) halted services to Amritsar (ATQ), Gwalior (GWL), Jammu (IXJ), Srinagar (SXR), and Hindon.

Regional carrier Star Air (S5) cancelled operations to Nanded (NDC), Hindon, Adampu, Kishangarh (KQH), and Bhuj (BHJ).

International Impact

The strikes, executed by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, escalated tensions, prompting Pakistan to close its airspace and India to restrict civilian flights near the border.

International carriers, including American Airlines (AA), United Airlines (UA), Lufthansa (LH), and Emirates (EK), cancelled or rerouted flights, with American (AA) cancelling its New York (JFK) to Delhi (DEL) service and United (UA) halting Newark (EWR) to Delhi (DEL).

Pakistan’s airspace closure affected 52 flights by Wednesday morning, forcing carriers like Korean Air (KE) and EVA Air (BR) to detour through southern Asia.

The disruptions increased fuel costs and ticket prices, with Indian airlines facing weekly losses of ₹80–100 crore. Foreign carriers with overflight rights gained a competitive edge, exacerbating challenges for Indian operators.

Operational and Economic Fallout

The cancellations and closures strained airline operations, with IndiGo (6E), operating 2,200 daily flights, bearing the brunt of 165 cancellations.

The Air India Group, including Air India (AI) and Air India Express (IX), cancelled 140 flights. Delhi (DEL), India’s busiest airport, saw 65 arrivals and 66 departures cancelled, disrupting both domestic and international travel.

Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) faced minimal disruptions but is scheduled for a 6-hour closure on May 8, 2025, for pre-monsoon runway maintenance, unrelated to the current crisis.

The economic impact is significant, with longer routes increasing fuel consumption and airfares by 8–12%.

Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.

Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News

Indian Airlines Cancels Over 100 Flights Amid Tensions with Pakistan

The post 27 Indian Airports in North, West & Central India Shut Till May 10 appeared first on Aviation A2Z.

Idź do oryginalnego materiału