32 airports, shut during India-Pak conflict, open. Check full list

ByNeha Tripathi

May 12, 2025 02:33 PM IST

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The airspace curbs were put in place after Indian forces hit nine terror sites in Pakistan on May 7 under Operation Sindoor.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on announced the reopening of 32 airports across northern and western India for civil flight operations three days after their temporary closure was extended until Thursday next (May 15) amid escalating India-Pakistan conflict involving drones, missiles and long-range weapons that raised fears of a full-blown war.

As many as 32 airports across India are shut and 25 flight routes are closed for operation. These are the visuals of deserted Chandigarh airport. (File/PTI)

“Attention Flyers; reference notice issued for temporary closure of 32 Airports for civil Aircraft operations till 05:29 hrs of 15 May 2025. It is informed that these Airports are now available for civil Aircraft operations with immediate effect. It is recommended for travellers to check flight status directly with Airlines and monitor Airline’s websites for regular updates,” the aviation body said in a statement.

The authorities started reopening the airports on Sunday morning, said two officials from the AAI, after Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) were issued. A NOTAM is a written notice to aviation stakeholders announcing a particular change in the airspace of an airport or a country. One of the NOTAMs said airports under the Mumbai Flight Information Region, such as Mundra, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Kandla, Keshod, and Bhuj, have been reopened.

The other NOTAM said airports such as Srinagar, Jammu, Hindon, Sarsawa, Uttarlai, Awantipur, Ambala, Kullu, Ludhiana, Kishangarh, Patiala, Shimla, Kangra, Bathinda, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Halwara, Pathankot, Leh, and Chandigarh airports were notified to resume operations. HT has seen the NOTAMs.

“The process of issuing [NOTAMS to] all airports is on-going and will be notified soon,” an AAI official said. He added that the resumption of flight operations will depend on respective airlines. “Reopening an airport is not a time-consuming process. The airlines have to plan their flights, which takes time.”

A second AAI official said the flight routes have been issued, but it will take a couple of hours for the airlines to start using them.

The decision to reopen airports and routes was taken after the Indian Air Force (IAF) early on Monday said “no activities” were reported in the border areas. “The night remained largely peaceful across Jammu and Kashmir and other areas along the International Border. No incidents have been reported, marking the first calm night in recent days,” said the IAF in a statement.

The airports were closed following precision strikes at nine terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Wednesday. The targets were hit as part of Operation Sindoor on May 7 in retaliation for the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

The operations at the Delhi airport continued, but some flight schedules were impacted, and security checks took longer due to airspace conditions and enhanced security measures as per the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) orders.

The affected flyers were offered a one-time waiver on rescheduling charges or a full refund for cancellations. The BCAS on Thursday last issued an advisory for stricter security protocols at airports across the country amid tensions with Pakistan. The measures will be effective until May 18. They barred visitors from entering airports and suspended the sale of visitor tickets. Additional passenger and baggage checks were conducted at boarding gates for all flights apart from regular security screenings.

Passengers across India were advised to arrive at respective airports at least three hours before scheduled departure to ensure smooth check-in and boarding. Check-ins were closed 75 minutes before departure.

On Saturday, Pakistan reopened its airspace for all flights, but it continued to remain closed for Indian airlines. All international Indian flights from northern India to Europe, the US, and Canada were rerouted southward due to Pakistan’s airspace closure. These flights pass through Mumbai’s airspace, the Arabian Sea, and Muscat before proceeding to their final destinations. Pakistan on April 24 barred Indian airlines and Indian-registered aircraft from using its airspace.