India-Pak tensions: 27 Indian airports shut, over 430 flights cancelled as carriers avoid tense corridor

A total of 27 airports in northern, western, and central India will remain closed for commercial operations until 5.29 am on Saturday, May 10. This closure has caused significant disruptions to air traffic, with Indian carriers cancelling 430 flights on Thursday, which represents about 3% of the country's total scheduled flights. Additionally, airlines in Pakistan cancelled over 147 flights, accounting for 17% of their daily schedules.

The airports affected by the closures in India include Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda, Halwara, Pathankot, Bhuntar, Shimla, Gaggal, Dharamsala, Kishangarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Mundra, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Kandla, Keshod, Bhuj, Gwalior, and Hindon. Even airports primarily used for military charters have been included in the shutdown, a report in the Times of India stated.

Air India, Indigo, Akasa, and SpiceJet have issued a travel advisory regarding the cancellation of flights to and from Leh, Srinagar, Jammu, Dharamshala, Kandla, and Amritsar until May 10th.

Numerous airlines have been adjusting their flight paths or choosing to cancel flights in order to avoid flying over the sensitive area. By Wednesday, approximately 300 flights had been cancelled, including two Air India international flights that were redirected to Delhi instead of Amritsar. American Airlines also opted to cancel its flight from Delhi to New York.

According to the global flight tracking platform Flightradar24, the airspace above Pakistan and the western region of India, spanning from Kashmir to Gujarat, was noticeably absent of civilian aircraft on Thursday. The platform highlighted that airlines were actively avoiding this area, resulting in a decrease in flight activity. Live data on flight paths and cancellation numbers were shared to provide real-time updates on the situation.

300 flights cancelled on Wednesday

On Wednesday, more than 300 flights were cancelled and operations at 21 airports in northern and western India were suspended following missile strikes carried out by the Indian armed forces on terror targets in Pakistan as part of Operation Sindoor. Airports in major cities such as Srinagar, Leh, Jammu, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Jodhpur have been temporarily closed, while others like Delhi have experienced partial disruptions, resulting in the cancellation of over 140 flights.

The affected airports are located in regions including Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi NCR. This has had a cascading impact on airline operations nationwide, leading to numerous carriers announcing widespread flight cancellations and urging passengers to verify their flight status before heading to the airport.

Several airlines, such as IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air, have issued public advisories. Additionally, international carriers with scheduled services to Amritsar and Delhi have also been affected, leading to some flights being rerouted or cancelled.