Chaos in Skies: 200 flights cancelled

More than 200 flights have been cancelled, and at least 18 airports, including Srinagar, have been temporarily shut for operations amid restrictions in the wake of the armed forces launching missile attacks against Pakistan on Wednesday morning.

Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India Express, Akasa Air, and a few foreign airlines cancelled their services to and from various airports.

Sources said that at least 18 airports in the northern and western parts of the country have been temporarily shut. These airports include Srinagar, Leh, Jammu, Amritsar, Pathankot, Chandigarh, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Shimla, Dharamshala and Jamnagar, they added.

According to the source, more than 200 flights to and from various airports have been cancelled by airlines, with IndiGo alone cancelling around 160 flights.

"Air India flights to and from the following stations—Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot—are being cancelled till 0529 hrs IST on 10 May following a notification from aviation authorities on the closure of these airports," the airline said.

In a post on X, the airline also said passengers holding valid tickets for travel during this period will be offered a one-time waiver on rescheduling charges or a full refund for cancellations.

IndiGo said that in the wake of the prevailing situation, flights to/from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner, and Jodhpur stand cancelled for the day.

"We are anticipating changes in flight schedules across our network and sincerely advise all customers to stay updated on their flight status before heading to the airport," the airline said in a post on X.

In an update on X, SpiceJet said airports in parts of northern India, including Dharamshala, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, and Amritsar, are closed until further notice. Departures, arrivals, and consequential flights may be impacted. The affected passengers can opt for a full refund or an alternate flight as per availability, it added.

At least 35 flights to and from the Delhi airport, the country's largest and busiest airport, have been cancelled since 12 am, one of the sources said.

The source said that 23 domestic departures and eight arrivals were cancelled. Besides, four international departures were cancelled. Foreign carriers, including American Airlines, cancelled some of their services from the Delhi airport.

Akasa Air, in a post on X, said that due to the prevailing situation in the region, all its flights to and from Srinagar have been cancelled.

Regional carrier Star Air said its flights to/from Nanded, Hindon, Adampur, Kishangarh and Bhuj stand cancelled for the day.

Air India Express, in a post on X, said that in keeping with prevailing restrictions, multiple flights on our network are impacted, including cancellation of flights to and from Amritsar, Jammu, Srinagar, and Hindon, till mid-day. There was no further update immediatley.

"Kindly note, due to changing airspace conditions, some flights have been impacted at Delhi Airport," DIAL said in a post on X.

Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways, in a post on X, said it has temporarily suspended flights to Pakistan due to Pakistani airspace closure.

In retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces, under Operation Sindoor, on early Wednesday, carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke.