Operation Sindoor airport closure: Following the Indian Operation Sindoor, the Government of India’s press conference revealed that the 25-minute operation targeted nine terrorist camps across regions in Pakistan. In the wake of the strikes, Pakistan has closed its airspace, and international airlines are also avoiding the geopolitically tense site. Following missile strikes on targets inside Pakistan by Indian Armed Forces, authorities on Wednesday morning closed Rajkot and Bhuj airports in Gujarat for civilian aircraft, however, they will remain open “round the clock” for military planes.
All major airlines have cancelled their flights to and from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Chandigarh, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Dharamshala, Rajkot among other states. More than 20 flights have been cancelled domestically and over 50 flights from international airlines have been cancelled that were bound for Pakistan.
Complete list of airports closed
1- Srinagar
2- Leh
3- Jammu
4- Amritsar
5- Pathankot
6- Chandigarh
7- Jodhpur
8- Jaisalmer
9- Shimla
10- Dharamshala
11- Jamnagar
12- Bhuj
13- Rajkot
14- Porbandar
15- Bhatinda
16- Thois
17- Bikaner
18- Hindon
Airlines affected by Operation Sindoor
All major airlines such as Air India, Indigo, Air India Express, Akasa Air and SpiceJet have issued travel advisories for their passengers. The Delhi Airport has cancelled over 30 flights today, with 23 domestic departures and 8 arrivals. Apart from that 4 international departures have also been cancelled. Screenshots from FlightRadar 24 reveal that there are no active flights on the northwestern border of India.
The solo flights that were visible earlier in the day over Lahore are no longer visible. Since international flights will be re-routed to take longer routes, avoiding the Pakistan airspace, delays and layovers are more than likely. As Indo-Pak geopolitical tensions increase, passengers fear further cancellations in their schedules. It is likely that airports on the borders will remain closed for more than 24 hours based on trends observed from Chandigarh. Regional carrier Star Air has also suspended flights to and from Nanded, Hindan and Adampur.
Operation Sindoor has led to widespread flight disruptions across India, with over 20 cancellations and numerous delays reported, particularly affecting northern airports like Srinagar, Leh, and Amritsar. Air India and other carriers have suspended services to several cities, while international flights are being rerouted to avoid the Indo-Pak airspace, reflecting the operation’s significant impact on air travel.