India’s Northern Skies Disrupted: Air Travel Chaos Follows Military Strikes Across the Border
As tensions rippled across South Asia following India’s early morning military strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the country’s airspace bore the immediate brunt. Within hours of the strikes on May 7, large swathes of northern and western India saw abrupt airspace restrictions that forced the closure of at least 18 civilian airports and led to the cancellation of more than 200 domestic and international flights. The disruptions left thousands of passengers stranded, rerouted, or seeking refunds, and triggered a cascade of scheduling chaos that rippled into global air traffic corridors.
In one of the most significant airspace clampdowns India has seen in recent years, airports in Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jodhpur, Jamnagar, and even high-altitude destinations like Shimla and Dharamshala were temporarily shut. These locations lie within regions that are strategically sensitive and closer to India’s western frontier, often used as staging areas for both civilian and defence operations.
The flight groundings began shortly after India’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that nine terrorist camps—located deep within Pakistan and across Pakistan-occupied territory—had been targeted with precision strikes. Carried out jointly by the Indian Army and Air Force under Operation Sindoor, the mission was a direct response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people and rekindled long-standing tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Airlines scrambled to respond. IndiGo, India’s largest domestic carrier, cancelled more than 165 flights, most of them affecting crucial hubs in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan. In a statement, the airline said operations from affected airports—including Amritsar, Srinagar, Leh, and Chandigarh—would remain suspended until at least 05:29 AM IST on May 10. Passengers were offered full refunds or the option to rebook without penalty. “We are working closely with authorities and monitoring the situation in real-time,” IndiGo added.
Air India, the national carrier, followed suit, halting operations in Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Amritsar, Jodhpur, Bhuj, Jamnagar, and Rajkot. The airline stated it had implemented a one-time waiver policy on rescheduling fees for passengers caught in the disruption, while encouraging travelers to check flight status frequently due to the dynamic security situation.
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, one of the busiest in Asia, saw at least 35 flight cancellations. Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) issued a public notice warning of further disruptions, citing “changing airspace conditions” as the situation evolved.
But the fallout didn’t stop at India’s borders. The airspace restrictions and the heightened geopolitical uncertainty forced several international airlines to adjust or reroute services to avoid flying over Pakistan. According to data from flight-tracking service FlightRadar24, at least 52 flights into or out of Pakistan were cancelled by Wednesday morning. Among the first to reroute were Taiwan’s EVA Air and Korean Air, which diverted Europe-bound services through alternate southern Asia corridors. Thai Airways and Vietnam Airlines followed with similar adjustments. China Airlines reported disruptions to its routes to London, Frankfurt, and Rome, with several planes making unscheduled technical stops in cities like Bangkok and Prague.
The sudden closure of such a significant airspace corridor—a key aerial link connecting South and Southeast Asia to the Middle East and Europe—has wider implications for global aviation logistics. The Indo-Pak air corridor is heavily used by both commercial and cargo airlines, and past conflicts, such as the 2019 Balakot airstrikes and the subsequent retaliatory airspace closures, have demonstrated how quickly military tensions can impact international travel and commerce.
Aviation analysts say the scale and speed of the response this time suggest a high degree of coordination between India’s military and civil aviation authorities. “The airspace closure was a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers and prevent misidentification of civilian aircraft in a volatile zone,” said a senior aviation official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
Still, for passengers on the ground, the disruption was deeply personal. At Delhi and Mumbai airports, long lines formed at airline counters, as stranded travelers sought alternate routes. Some business travelers described missing critical meetings. Families returning from vacations or visiting relatives scrambled to rearrange plans. “It’s frustrating but understandable,” said Priya Mehta, a passenger whose Srinagar-bound flight was cancelled. “This is bigger than us.”
The disruption comes at a time when Indian aviation is already stretched, with high summer demand, crew shortages, and overburdened infrastructure in many Tier-II airports. While most airlines have pledged swift refunds and rebooking assistance, the sheer scale of cancellations is expected to take days to resolve fully.
As India reiterates its firm posture on national security and deterrence against cross-border terrorism, the ripple effects continue to unfold—not just in diplomatic channels, but in grounded aircraft, delayed itineraries, and disrupted lives. It is a sobering reminder that geopolitical flashpoints in one part of the world can echo through international skies in minutes.
Disclaimer: This article is based on officially released data and airline statements as of May 7, 2025. Passenger advisories are subject to change depending on the security situation.
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