All operations at Amritsar Airport are shut; 27 airports take such steps

The closure of airports has severely disrupted air traffic, prompting Indian carriers to cancel 430 flights on Thursday, roughly 3 per cent of the country's total scheduled flights

Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan, India has implemented swift security measures to ensure the safety of its citizens. As part of these precautions, all operations at Amritsar Airport have been suspended until further notice, according to police officials.

 

The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP-2) Sirivennela, 21 North and North-Western India airports, informed that the airport will be shut until May 10, and no flights will be operated.

 

“We received information that all flights need to be cancelled and the airport has to be shut down. The whole airport is shut until further notice. As per the central government, 21 airports in North and North-Western India will remain shut till May 10. No flights will be operated from here,” the police official told ANI.

 

India’s security measures follow ‘Operation Sindoor’, in which the Army targeted nine terror sites in Pakistan and PoK in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. The government claims a direct Pakistani link to the attack and asserts its right to defend.

 

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Airports closure disrupted air traffic

A total of 27 airports in northern, western, and central India have been shut for commercial operations until 5.29 am on Saturday, May 10, according to a report by The Times of India.

 

The closures have disrupted air travel, prompting Indian carriers to cancel 430 flights on Thursday, roughly 3 per cent of the country’s total scheduled flights. In Pakistan, airlines scrapped more than 147 flights, accounting for 17 per cent of their daily operations.

 

Following the closure of Amritsar Airport, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Thursday appealed to the people that there was no need to panic.

 

“The airport has been closed till May 10 because of the mock drills and for the Air Force. There’s no need to panic in Amritsar. We reached here from Delhi this morning, and we have been telling people not to panic and maintain peace. Our army is standing tall to face this situation,” Aujla told ANI.   

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Mock drills conducted across India

 

Apart from taking security measures, the Indian government has also been training its civilians on how to act and respond in situations like war and any attack. The government has conducted mock drills in 244 districts across India. This exercise includes setting up temporary hospitals, evacuating buildings, rescuing injured people, etc, involving police personnel, citizens, and different relief teams. This step has been seen as a crucial move regarding the safeguard of the citizens.