The Indian government has extended the temporary closure of 32 airports in northern and western India for civilian air operations amid growing military tensions with Pakistan. According to official Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) issued on Friday, the suspension will remain in effect until 5:29 AM IST on May 15.
The closures follow India’s precision military strikes on nine locations in Pakistan as part of “Operation Sindoor” conducted early Wednesday. Initially, around 25 airports close to the India-Pakistan border and major Indian Air Force (IAF) bases were shut down until Saturday morning. However, due to Pakistan’s retaliatory drone and missile attacks on Indian military sites and India's proportional military response, the suspension has now been extended and expanded to include additional airports.
Most of the affected airports, such as Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Amritsar, and Jodhpur, are located on or near defense airfields, many with limited civilian flight traffic. Other impacted airports include Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Bikaner, Bhuj, Rajkot, Jamnagar, and Pathankot, among others. Flight tracking data shows minimal commercial air activity in key regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and north of Delhi.
“All civil flight activities at these airports will remain suspended during this period,” the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) confirmed. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has also extended the temporary closure of 25 air traffic segments within the Delhi and Mumbai Flight Information Regions (FIRs) due to ongoing military operations.
Commercial airlines have been instructed to adjust flight plans and reroute traffic in coordination with Air Traffic Control (ATC) units to ensure operational safety and reduce disruption. The decision has led to the cancellation of over 400 flights daily, according to aviation industry estimates.
India’s largest airline, IndiGo, reported 165 daily flight cancellations. “These precautionary measures have been instituted with your safety and security as our highest priority,” IndiGo said in a Friday advisory, listing affected destinations including Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Jodhpur.
Tata Group-owned Air India also announced flight cancellations to and from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Bhuj, Jamnagar, and Rajkot, aligning with government directives.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, with further updates expected as developments unfold along the volatile India-Pakistan border.
(This story is published from a syndicated deed)