Amid rising India-Pakistan tensions, 24 Indian airports, including Chandigarh and Srinagar, were shut for civil flights after a Pakistani drone and missile attack on border regions
As of Thursday evening, civil flight operations at 24 airports in India were suspended amid a surge in tensions between India and Pakistan. Among the affected airports were Chandigarh, Srinagar, Jaisalmer, and Shimla. The Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed the closures, which followed a Pakistani drone and missile attack targeting several Indian cities in Jammu, Punjab, Gujarat, and Rajasthan.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the attack—confirmed to be of Pakistani origin—was intercepted by Indian air defense systems. The incident prompted blackouts, the sounding of air raid sirens in multiple cities, and the suspension of an Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
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Military sources, as reported by PTI, indicated that the chain of events began when Indian defense forces intercepted a suspected aerial incursion over Jammu. This was soon followed by explosions reported in Punjab, sensitive areas in Rajasthan, and other locations along the western border.
This significant escalation occurred just a day after India launched "Operation Sindoor," a retaliatory military campaign aimed at terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation was in response to a terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22.
Airlines have issued advisories to passengers, stating that flights from several of the closed airports would remain suspended until Saturday. They also recommended that travelers headed to operational airports arrive well in advance, allowing for extended security checks and formalities.
IndiGo stated in a social media update that, given the extraordinary circumstances, airports had implemented heightened security protocols and passengers were advised to allocate extra time for their journeys. SpiceJet and Akasa Air echoed this guidance, urging travelers to reach the airport at least three hours before their scheduled departure.
Flight operations were heavily disrupted. IndiGo canceled 165 flights on Wednesday, while Air India and Air India Express experienced a similar number of cancellations. Additionally, two of Air India's international flights, originally bound for Amritsar, were diverted to New Delhi due to the airport's sudden closure, as Amritsar lies near the Pakistani border.
