India reopens 32 airports after military de-escalation with Pakistan

Airports in major cities, such as Ambala, Amritsar, Bhuj, Bikaner, Chandigarh, Hindon, Jaisalmer, Jammu, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, Leh and Ludhiana, were shut since May 7

Indian carriers resumed flights  on key domestic routes on Monday morning, soon after the government reopened 32 airports that were shut since May 7 in view of  border tensions between India and Pakistan. 

Largest domestic carrier IndiGo  on Monday resumed operations on the Delhi-Chandigarh, Delhi-Jammu, and Delhi-Amritsar routes, while Air India and its low-cost arm Air India Express are “progressively" resuming services to cities, including Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, and Bhuj.  SpiceJet is also working to restore its network from the affected airports. According to a notice issued by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to airmen, all 32 airports were now open. “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 websites for regular updates,” the AAI said. 

Airports in major cities, such as Ambala, Amritsar, Bhuj, Bikaner, Chandigarh, Hindon, Jaisalmer, Jammu, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, Leh, Ludhiana, Mundra, Porbandar, Rajkot (Hirasar), Shimla, and Srinagar, had remained shut since the launch of Operation Sindoor. The airports were initially shut until May 10, which was later extended until May 15.   

According to aviation industry sources, about 1,500 flights, which were scheduled to operate to and from these 32 airports between May 7 and Monday morning, had to be cancelled due to the closure. 

On Monday, India’s largest carrier IndiGo said that in line with the “latest government directives”, the airports were open for flight operations. “Over the course of the next few days, more flights will resume gradually across the network,” it mentioned.   “As services gradually return to normal, there may still be a few delays and last-minute adjustments. We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as our teams work diligently to restore seamless operations,” the airline said, adding that change and cancellation fee waivers remain available until May 22 for travel to and from the affected airports. 

“Starting tomorrow (Tuesday), services will resume on Hindon–Bengaluru, Jammu–Delhi, Jammu–Srinagar, and Srinagar–Delhi routes. Operations on the Hindon–Mumbai route are planned to resume the day after. The reinstatement of other flights, 

including international services from Amritsar, is expected to follow from May 15," Air India Express said.