India-Pakistan tensions flare up: 32 airports shut till May 15, services temporarily shut on Delhi to Mumbai air route

In a sweeping move amid escalating hostilities with Pakistan, India has temporarily shut down civilian operations at 32 airports across its northern and western regions. The unprecedented step follows continued military engagements since India's May 7 airstrikes on terror camps and Pakistan’s retaliatory shelling along the border.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), along with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), issued a series of NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) on Saturday, suspending all civil flight activities at these airports from May 9 until 5:29 am on May 15.

The DGCA noted that the closure is “due to operational reasons” related to the ongoing military situation.

“All civil flight activities at these airports will remain suspended during this period,” the regulator said.

The following airports are affected by this NOTAM:
 
1. Adhampur
2. Ambala
3. Amritsar
4. Awantipur
5. Bathinda
6. Bhuj
7. Bikaner
8. Chandigarh
9. Halwara
10. Hindon
11. Jaisalmer
12. Jammu
13. Jamnagar
14. Jodhpur
15. Kandla
16. Kangra (Gaggal)
17. Keshod
18. Kishangarh
19. Kullu Manali (Bhuntar)
20. Leh
21. Ludhiana
22. Mundra
23. Naliya
24. Pathankot
25. Patiala
26. Porbandar
27. Rajkot (Hirasar)
28. Sarsawa
29. Shimla
30. Srinagar
31. Thoise
32. Uttarlai

This marks an expansion from an earlier directive that had shut down 24 airports till May 10. The latest NOTAM adds more locations and extends the timeline.

Additionally, the AAI has restricted operations on 25 segments of Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes within the Delhi and Mumbai Flight Information Regions (FIRs). These routes will remain unavailable from ground level to unlimited altitude until 11:59 pm UTC on May 14 (5:29 am IST on May 15).

“The 25 route segments will remain unavailable... due to operational reasons,” the DGCA said in a release, adding that airlines and operators have been advised to chart alternate flight paths.

The regulator assured that all temporary closures are being coordinated with air traffic control units to maintain safety and minimise disruption.