The Civil Aviation Ministry informed that 24 airports are closed for civil flight operations as of Thursday evening amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, which soared further after a Pakistani drone and missile attack on Indian cities in Jammu, Punjab, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Among the airports closed in India for civil flight operations were Chandigarh, Srinagar, Jaisalmer, Shimla and others.
Full list of airports shut in India
- Chandigarh
- Srinagar
- Amritsar
- Ludhiana
- Bhuntar
- Kishengarh
- Patiala
- Shimla
- Kangra-Gaggal
- Bathinda
- Jaisalmer
- Jodhpur
- Bikaner
- Halwara
- Pathankot
- Jammu
- Leh
- Mundra
- Jamnagar
- Hirasa (Rajkot)
- Porbandar
- Keshod
- Kandl
- Bhuj
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated sharply on Thursday evening following a Pakistani drone and missile attack targeting regions in Jammu, Punjab, and Rajasthan. The attempted strike which was confimed to be of Pakistani origin by the Ministry of Defence later was intercepted by Indian air defence systems, triggering blackouts, air raid sirens in several cities, and the suspension of the IPL match underway in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
It all began with Indian defence systems thwarting a suspected drone and missile incursion over Jammu, before reports emerged of explosions in parts of Punjab, sensitive zones in Rajasthan, and later across various points along the western border, according to military sources.
This escalation comes just a day after New Delhi launched ‘Operation Sindoor’—a targeted military strike on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) —in retaliation for the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
In advisories to passengers, several airlines said their flights would remain suspended until Saturday from some of the airports mentioned above.
The airlines also asked passengers to reach airports which are operational with extra time in hands to accommodate enhanced security checks and formalities.
“In these extraordinary times, heightened security measures are taken up across all airports. We request you to allow some extra time for your journey to accommodate security checks and formalities. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation,” IndiGo said in a post on X on Thursday evening. SpiceJet and Akasa Air also request passengers to reach airports at least three hours prior to journey.
IndiGo airlines on Wednesday canceled 165 flights, while Air India and Air India Express had a similar number of cancellations. Air India diverted two of its international flights enroute from Amritsar, close to Lahore, to New Delhi, because of the sudden closure of the airport.
