India Halts Flights, Closes Airports After Missile Strikes
Air travel in northern and western India ground to a halt on May 7, 2025, as authorities canceled over 300 flights and temporarily closed 25 airports following India’s missile strikes on terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under Operation Sindoor. The operation, a response to a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, prompted stringent aviation restrictions.
Major airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Akasa Air, Air India Express, and several international carriers, suspended services to and from key airports such as Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Amritsar, Pathankot, Chandigarh, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Shimla, Dharamshala, and Jamnagar. IndiGo reported canceling over 165 flights, affecting routes from Amritsar, Bikaner, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Gwalior, Jammu, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Leh, Rajkot, and Srinagar until 5:29 a.m. IST on May 10, 2025, as stated in their official release. The airline offered passengers free rescheduling or full refunds.
Air India and Air India Express also halted approximately 140 flights, with cancellations impacting operations at Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot until the same deadline, per the airline’s statement. Regional carrier Star Air suspended services on routes including Nanded, Hindon, Adampur, Kishangarh, and Bhuj. Internationally, United Airlines canceled its Newark-Delhi flight, and American Airlines scrapped its New York-Delhi service. Qatar Airways temporarily halted flights to Pakistan due to the closure of Pakistani airspace.
Indian authorities closed 25 flight routes along the border to prevent aircraft from entering Pakistani airspace, a measure implemented after the strikes targeting terror infrastructure, including Jaish-e-Mohammad’s base in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s camp in Muridke. The military action, which hit nine sites, was a direct retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed several personnel, as confirmed by officials.
The disruptions reflect the heightened security measures following Operation Sindoor, one of India’s most significant cross-border operations in recent years.