Operation Sindoor: Flight Operations Impacted; Airports Close For Commercial Travel, Airlines Issue Advisories

More than 20 airports—including Leh, Thois, Pathankot, Jaisalmer, Bhatinda, Bhuj, Shimla, Porbander, Jammu, Srinagar, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, Dharamshala and Rajkot—have been shut down after the Indian government launched “Operation Sindoor” on targets in Pakistani territory in the early hours of May 7, 2025.Reports said the airspace in India's western region along the border with Pakistan is no longer available for commercial flights. "There is no information yet on how long these airports will remain shut to civilian flights. Currently, we have rescheduled all flights of the day," said an airline official to media. The Indian Air Force took complete control of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport early on Wednesday morning. Ajay Kumar, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Chandigarh International Airport Ltd (CHIAL), confirmed the takeover and that all domestic and international flights remain suspended until further notice.Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which manages Delhi Airport, has issued an advisory for passengers, posting on X, “Kindly note, due to changing airspace conditions, some flights have been impacted at Delhi Airport.” It further advised passengers to contact their respective airlines for updated information.Unlike these unscheduled airport closures, Mumbai airport is scheduled to remain shut for six hours from 11 AM to 5 PM on May 8 due to annual pre-monsoon maintenance work on both runways. Flight tracking data also showed no civilian aircraft north of Delhi, where some of the sensitive airports close to the Pakistan border are located.As of 7:42 AM on May 7, 20 flights were cancelled at Delhi Airport, according to a news report. As many as 76 departing flights and 46 arriving flights were delayed, according to live flight tracking website Flightradar24.Airlines Issue Advisories Post 'Operation Sindoor'India’s largest airline, IndiGo, said its flights to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Bikaner, Jodhpur and Dharamshala have been impacted. “Due to changing airspace conditions in the region, our flights to and from #Srinagar, #Jammu, #Amritsar, #Leh, #Chandigarh and #Dharamshala are impacted. We request you to check your flight status at…before reaching the airport,” Indigo said in a post on X.Air India said that two international flights to Kashmir have been diverted to Delhi. “In view of the prevailing situation, Air India has cancelled all its flights to and from the following stations – Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot – till 12 noon on 7 May, pending further updates from authorities. Two international flights en route to Amritsar are being diverted to Delhi. We regret the inconvenience caused due to this unforeseen disruption,” they said.Countries Issue Travel WarningsAccording to media reports, the British government advised its citizens to avoid travelling to parts of India and Pakistan on May 7.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice for the region, warning against all travel within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border, 16 km of the Line of Control (LOC) and Pakistan's Balochistan province.In a statement, it said, “We are continuing to monitor the situation closely. British nationals should stay up to date with our travel advice and follow the advice of local authorities.”Meanwhile, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told its citizens to defer all non-essential travel to the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in India, and to Pakistan.The ministry issued the travel advisory given the “volatile security situation between the two countries”.“Travellers should exercise precaution, especially at the border regions between Pakistan and India,” it said, adding that those who are currently in the two countries should be alert and take steps to keep themselves safe.International Flights Impacted In The Middle EastSeveral flights connecting the United Arab Emirates to northern India and Pakistan were cancelled or delayed as well.Dubai International Airport reported delays and cancellations from carriers including Emirates and flydubai. At Abu Dhabi, many delays and cancellations from Zayed International Airport were also reported. Qatar Airways announced it has temporarily suspended flights to Pakistan. The airline stated, “Qatar Airways is monitoring the situation closely and continues to prioritise the safety of passengers and crew.” According to a report, several global airlines are now avoiding Pakistani airspace. Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, Swiss International Air Lines, and Emirates have adjusted flight routes to bypass the region. Lufthansa said it is “avoiding Pakistani airspace until further notice,” while Air France confirmed it has suspended overflights due to the "recent evolution of tensions between India and Pakistan."What Is ‘Operation Sindoor’?The Indian armed forces launched a series of precision strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan’s Punjab province early on Wednesday in response to the deaths of 26 civilians in Pahalgam on April 22. Speaking about what happened in Operation Sindoor, the Indian army, in its special press briefing, revealed that the air strikes, conducted by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, destroyed nine terror camps; four in Pakistan and five in PoK. In the statement issued after the operation, the Ministry of Defence emphasised that India’s actions “have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted.” The briefing further noted that the air strikes by India took place over 25 minutes between 1:05 and 1:30 IST. This is a developing story. Stay tuned for further updates.MHA Mock Drill: Is Travel Going To Be Impacted