Following India’s decisive military strikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a nationwide security alert has been issued. The airstrikes were conducted between 1:05 am and 1:30 am on the night of May 6–7 in response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. The heightened tension between India and Pakistan has severely impacted civil aviation.
At least 18 airports in northern and western India, including Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Amritsar, Pathankot, Chandigarh, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Shimla, Dharamshala, and Jamnagar, have been temporarily closed as a precaution. These closures have disrupted flight operations, leading to the cancellation of more than 200 flights across the country.
IndiGo alone has cancelled 165 flights and issued an advisory urging passengers to check flight status before heading to airports. Delhi Airport saw over 35 flights cancelled, including 23 departures, 8 arrivals, and 4 international services.
Airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air, and Air India Express have suspended flights to affected cities and are offering full refunds or free rescheduling options. Air India announced cancellation of flights to Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot until 5:29 am on May 10. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways has suspended operations to Pakistan due to closure of Pakistani airspace.
The Operation Sindoor assault used 24 precision-guided missiles in a 25-minute operation that destroyed nine terror camps—five in PoK and four in Pakistan. These camps were used for recruitment and training of terrorists. Reports indicate the operation also resulted in the deaths of ten family members of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar.
