Travel chaos as popular country closes 32 airports

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and thousands of passengers are stranded after 32 airports were closed in amid escalating hostilities between India and Pakistan. This comes following India's on nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 people and marked the most severe military clash between the two nations in more than 20 years. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have announced the suspension of civilian operations at 32 airports across northern and western India until May 15.

The AAI and relevant aviation authories released a series of NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) and a statement that reads: "The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and relevant aviation authorities have issued a series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) announcing the temporary closure of 32 airports across northern and western India for all civil flight operations, effective from 9th to 14th May 2025 (which corresponds to 0529 IST on 15th May 2025), due to operational reasons." Several airlines like Air India, Air India Express, and IndiGo, have had to cancel their fights, and global airlines such as United Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, American Airlines, Korean Air, Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines have also had to reroute or cancel flights to avoid the area.

Captain CS Randhawa, President of the Federation of Indian Pilots Association, said: "To avoid Pakistani airspace, flights from the Gulf to Delhi are forced to take detours. For instance, British Airways, Air France, and KLM from Delhi are heading towards Mumbai and then rerouting through Turkey, with longer flight paths and additional operational costs."

Earlier, 24 airports were closed until May 10, but the list has now expanded as the situation escalates.

This has resulted in the cancellation of around 430 flights, representing nearly 3% of India's scheduled air traffic, while approximately 17% of flights in Pakistan have reportedly been grounded as well.

The affected airports are Adhampur, Ambala, Amritsar, Awantipur, Bathinda, Bhuj, Bikaner, Chandigarh, Halwara, Hindon, Jammu, Jaisalmer, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, Kandla, Kangra (Gaggal), Keshod, Kishangarh, Kullu Manali (Bhuntar), and Leh.

The remaining airports impacted by the suspension include Ludhiana, Mundra, Naliya, Pathankot, Patiala, Porbandar, Rajkot (Hirasar), Sarsawa, Shimla, Srinagar, Thoise, and Uttarlai.

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) is still open.

The airport said in a statement today: "All operations at Delhi Airport continue as normal. However, due to evolving airspace conditions and enhanced security measures as directed by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, some flight schedules may be impacted and security processing times could be longer."

It advised passengers to stay informed, check their flight status and arrive early to the airport in order to allow for potential delays.

On Friday, 138 flights were reportedly cancelled to and from Delhi airport.

The DGCA also confirmed that 25 segments of Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes within the Delhi and Mumbai Flight Information Regions (FIRs) will remain inactive during this period, reported.