Over 200 flights cancelled, 18 airports shut amid airspace restrictions after ‘Operation Sindhoor’

Air travel across northern and western India faced major disruption on Wednesday following Indian armed forces’ targeted strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir under “Operation Sindhoor.” The operation was conducted in retaliation for a recent terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives.

Also read: Operation Sindhoor timeline: 23 minutes of fire and fury !

In the wake of heightened security and airspace restrictions, operations at 18 airports—including Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jodhpur, and Dharamshala—were suspended. As a result, more than 200 flights were cancelled, with Delhi Airport alone witnessing 35 cancellations since midnight, including domestic and international services.

Airlines responded swiftly to the chaos. IndiGo was the most impacted, grounding 165 flights. Air India and Air India Express also cancelled services to multiple cities and announced waivers on rescheduling fees or full refunds. SpiceJet confirmed closures at several northern airports, cautioning travellers about further disruptions. Akasa Air and Star Air suspended services to northern destinations, while foreign carriers like American Airlines and Qatar Airways halted certain operations.

Flight tracking services revealed near-empty skies over north-western India and Pakistan, with over 25 international flights rerouted to avoid Pakistani airspace. By morning, 52 flights to or from Pakistan had been cancelled. Several global airlines, including KLM and Singapore Airlines, suspended routes over Pakistan as a precautionary measure.

Delhi International Airport authorities acknowledged the situation, advising passengers to check flight statuses amid ongoing changes to airspace usage.