India suspends flight operations at 25 airports amid fears of Pakistan's response

Amid fear of Pakistani response, India temporarily suspended flight operations at multiple airports across the country.

This precautionary measure was taken after India launched airstrikes using Rafale jets on Pakistani territory on Wednesday, targeting residential areas, which was followed by reports of drone activity on Thursday night.

The suspension aims to ensure safety and prevent potential reprisals in the wake of possible retaliatory actions from Pakistan.

The Indian Express reported that at least 25 airports in India, mostly in the northern part of the country, have been closed to commercial flight operations from today until Saturday (May 10), and all flights, including pre-booked ones, were cancelled. 

However, defence operations will continue at the airports. The report stated that flight operations were suspended in Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Gwalior, Rajkot, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Dharamshala, Bathinda, Shimla, Hindon, Kishangarh, and Kandla. Most of the said airports are located on the premises of airfield defence bases.

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Due to the suspension, authorities had to cancel at least 430 flights, and as many as 24 flight radars were closed. 

A notification issued by India's largest airline, IndiGo, stated, "Due to government notification on airspace restrictions, over 165 IndiGo flights from multiple airports (Amritsar, Bikaner, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Gwalior, Jammu, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Leh, Rajkot, and Srinagar) are canceled until 05:29 hrs IST on May 10, 2025. Customers are encouraged to check their flight status on our website or mobile app before heading to the airport."

Similarly, India's no-frills airline SpiceJet, government-owned regional airline Alliance Air, and Tata group airline Air India cancelled flight operations on the directives of the government.