New Delhi, May 12: The temporary closure of 32 airports across northern and western India has been officially lifted, allowing civil aircraft operations to resume. The airports were previously closed until 05:29 hrs on May 15 due to “operational reasons,” following the ongoing military conflict between India and Pakistan. An official release issued on Monday confirmed that the affected airports are now open for regular flight operations.
Travelers are advised to check the status of their flights directly with airlines and keep an eye on airline websites for real-time updates. The closure had initially been announced on May 10 by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and relevant aviation authorities, with Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) informing of the restrictions due to safety concerns arising from the border tensions.
The affected airports during this temporary closure included key hubs such as Adhampur, Amritsar, Jammu, Chandigarh, Leh, Srinagar, Jaisalmer, and Bikaner, among others. The decision was prompted by heightened security concerns following India’s May 7 strikes on terror camps and Pakistan’s retaliatory shelling along the border.
In addition to the airport closures, 25 segments of Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes within the Delhi and Mumbai Flight Information Regions (FIRs) were also temporarily closed. Airlines were advised to plan alternate routes in accordance with updated air traffic advisories.
The Airports Authority of India had worked closely with air traffic control (ATC) units to ensure that the closures were managed safely and efficiently to minimize disruptions. While the airports are now open, travelers are encouraged to verify flight details with their airlines, as schedules may still be affected by the earlier restrictions.
