According to civil aviation regulators, 32 airports in the north and western parts of the country, including Srinagar and Amritsar, are closed until May 15th for civilian flight operations.
The decision, released early on Saturday, has continued unabated since the terrorist camp on May 7 and the strike in the artillery fires in Pakistan’s subsequent border areas, taking into account the military conflict between India and Pakistan.
The Indian Airport Authority and associated aviation authorities have issued a series of notices to airlines announcing the temporary closure of 32 airports in northern and western India for all civilian flight operations.
The closure will remain effective until May 9, 2025, May 14, 2025 (corresponding to 0529 IST on May 15, 2025) for operational reasons.
Airports include Adhampur, Ambala, Amritsar, Awantipur, Bathinda, Bhuj, Bikaner, Chandigarh, Halwara, Hindon and Jammu.
Other airports are Jaisalma, Jamunagar, Jodhpur, Kandra, Kangal (Gagal), Keshod, Kishangar, Kishangar, Krunali (Buntar), and Leh, according to the Director of Civil Aviation.
Ludhiana, Mundra, Naliya, Pathankot, Patiala, Porbandar, Rajkot (Hirasar), Sarsawa, Shimla, Srinagar, Thoise and Uttarlai are the remaining airports to be closed.
Previously, until May 10, at least 24 airports were closed for civilian flight operations.
Meanwhile, AAI has extended the temporary closure of 25 air traffic service routes within the Flight Information Areas of Delhi and Mumbai for “operational reasons”.
“The 25 route segments will not be available from ground level to unlimited altitudes, up to 2359 UTC on May 14, 2025 (equivalent to 0529 IST on May 15, 2025),” DGCA said.
With these segments closed, regulators are advised to airlines and flight operators to plan alternative routes. Temporary closures are managed in conjunction with the associated ATC units to ensure safety and minimize disruption.
On April 30, India closed Pakistani Airlines airspace as part of its retaliation measures in the wake of the Pahargam terrorist attack on April 22, which killed 26 people. On April 24, Pakistan closed airspace for Indian airlines.
On Friday, Air India at the X Post said flights to Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Bhuji, Jamunagar and Rajkot have been cancelled until 5:29am on May 15th due to the continued closure of several Indian airports.
In an X post, Indigo said all flights to and from 10 destinations will remain cancelled simultaneously until May 15th.
Armed conflicts between India and Pakistan have been raging after India occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahargam massacre early on Wednesday at nine Pakistan-Pakistan-occupied Kashmir terror sites.
