NATIONAL: India Closes 27 Airports Amid Pakistan Attacks!
Nationwide Airport Shutdown
In response to escalating attacks by Pakistan (Pakistan), India (India) has closed 27 airports across northern, western, and central regions.
The closure will remain in effect until 5:29 AM on Saturday, May 10, 2025, authorities confirmed.
Massive Flight Cancellations
On Thursday, Indian airlines canceled 430 flights, accounting for 3% of the country’s total scheduled services.
Pakistan airlines also canceled 147 flights, representing 17% of their daily operations.
Affected Airports
Airports in Srinagar (Srinagar), Jammu (Jammu), Leh (Leh), Chandigarh (Chandigarh), Amritsar (Amritsar), and Jodhpur (Jodhpur) are among those shut down.
Military airfields like Ludhiana (Ludhiana), Patiala (Patiala), Bathinda (Bathinda), Halwara (Halwara), and Bhuntar (Bhuntar) are also included in the closure.
Airline Advisories
Air India (Air India), IndiGo (IndiGo), Akasa (Akasa), and SpiceJet (SpiceJet) issued travel advisories, canceling flights to and from Leh, Srinagar, Jammu, Dharamsala (Dharamsala), Kandla (Kandla), and Amritsar until May 10.
International carriers, including American Airlines (American Airlines), rerouted or canceled flights, with two Air India international flights diverted to Delhi (Delhi).
Airspace Avoidance
According to Flightradar24 (Flightradar24), civilian aircraft were absent from the airspace over Pakistan and western India, from Kashmir to Gujarat (Gujarat), on Thursday.
Airlines are rerouting flights to avoid the sensitive region, significantly reducing flight activity.
Operation Sindoor Context
The closures follow India’s Operation Sindoor (Operation Sindoor), which targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan after the April 29
Pahalgam (Pahalgam) attack that killed 26 people.
On Wednesday, 300 flights were canceled, and 21 airports were suspended after missile strikes on terror targets.
Regional Impact
Airports in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh (Ladakh), Punjab (Punjab), Himachal Pradesh (Himachal Pradesh), Rajasthan (Rajasthan), Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh (Madhya Pradesh), Maharashtra (Maharashtra), and parts of Uttar Pradesh (Uttar Pradesh) are affected.
Delhi’s airport faced partial disruptions, leading to over 140 flight cancellations.
Security Measures
The Indian armed forces remain on high alert, with the S-400 missile defense system neutralizing eight Pakistani drones near Jammu’s airport.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval (Ajit Doval) briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Narendra Modi) on the situation, emphasizing robust counter-measures.
Public Advisory
Airlines urged passengers to check flight statuses before heading to airports due to widespread cancellations.
The government has imposed blackouts in border areas like Gurdaspur (Gurdaspur) and issued high alerts in Delhi and Punjab.