BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, May 7, 2025 – Major Indian airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet, have canceled numerous flights, and several airports in northern and western India have been temporarily shut down following India’s launch of Operation Sindoor, a precision military strike targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation, described as a response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, has heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, leading to significant disruptions in air travel across the region.
Operation Sindoor: A Bold Strike Against Terror
In the early hours of Wednesday, May 7, 2025, the Indian Armed Forces executed Operation Sindoor, striking nine terror sites in Pakistan and PoK, including strongholds of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the strikes were “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” targeting only terrorist infrastructure and avoiding Pakistani military facilities. The operation, monitored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was a direct retaliation for the Pahalgam attack, which India alleges was orchestrated by Pakistan-based terror groups.
India carries out simultaneous missile attacks on several terror camps located in several cities of Pakistan; IC 814: Kandahar hijacking mastermind Maulana Masood Azhar’s camp(Madarsa) in Bahawalpur destroyed. #OperationSindoor pic.twitter.com/9LgOLuTRra
— Churchill Aheer (@ChurchillAheer) May 6, 2025
ALSO READ: Mock Drill Cover Masks ‘Operation Sindoor’ Terror Strikes
The Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force coordinated the strikes, using beyond-visual-range and standoff weapons to ensure precision. The operation marks the first time since the 1971 India-Pakistan war that all three services have jointly conducted such an action against Pakistan.
Air Travel Disrupted Across Northern India
The escalating tensions and airspace restrictions have led to widespread disruptions in India’s aviation sector. Air India announced the cancellation of all flights to and from nine cities—Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot—until at least 12 noon on May 7, pending further updates from authorities. Two international flights en route to Amritsar were diverted to Delhi.
IndiGo, India’s largest carrier, issued a travel advisory, stating that flights to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, and Bikaner were impacted due to “changing airspace conditions.” The airline canceled all operations from Srinagar airport for the day and reported delays and cancellations for flights to Central Asian destinations like Almaty and Tashkent.
One of the targets of the Indian Army was a terror camp located in Pakistan's Bahawalpur.
This is the same place which serves as the headquarters of Jaish-e-Muhammad.
Watch how an airstrike blows the terror camps into smithereens pic.twitter.com/68nstQcLOq
— Brutal Truth (@sarkarstix) May 6, 2025
ALSO READ: India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ Kills 17 Terrorists in Pakistan, PoK
SpiceJet also suspended flights to Chandigarh, Jammu, Leh, and Srinagar, urging passengers to check flight statuses online. The airline cited the “prevailing situation” as the reason for the cancellations.
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, one of the world’s busiest, reported the cancellation of approximately 20 flights operated by IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, and SpiceJet, primarily to northern and western destinations. A senior pilot noted that rerouting flights over the Arabian Sea to avoid Pakistani airspace has increased flight durations to the US and Europe by up to 2.5 hours, raising fuel costs and potentially leading to fare hikes.
Airports Shut, Airspace Cleared
Several airports in northern India, including those in Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, and Chandigarh, have been temporarily closed as a precautionary measure. Pakistan, in response to the strikes, cleared its airspace for 48 hours, halting all domestic and international flights operated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and diverting them to Karachi. Lahore and Sialkot airports have also been shut for the next 48 hours.
India’s airspace restrictions, initiated earlier with a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) banning Pakistani aircraft, have compounded the disruptions. Pakistan had already closed its airspace to Indian carriers following the Pahalgam attack, forcing airlines to take longer routes over the Arabian Sea for flights to Europe, North America, and the Middle East.
Passenger Advisory and Economic Impact
Airlines have urged passengers to monitor flight statuses and plan their journeys accordingly. IndiGo and Air India have set up helplines and online portals to assist affected travelers. The disruptions are expected to impact thousands of passengers, particularly at Delhi’s busy hub, where over 1,200 flights to Europe, the Middle East, and North America are scheduled monthly.
The closure of Pakistani airspace has significantly reduced Pakistan’s revenue from overflight fees, while Indian carriers face increased operational costs due to extended flight routes. The Attari border, a key trade channel worth ₹3,886 crore, has also been shut, further straining economic ties between the two nations.
Pakistan’s Response and Global Reactions
Pakistan condemned the strikes as a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calling them an “act of war” and vowing a “befitting reply.” Pakistan’s military reported strikes in Kotli, Muridke, Bahawalpur, and Muzaffarabad, claiming civilian casualties. India, however, denied targeting civilian or military sites, asserting that the operation was solely aimed at terror infrastructure.
International airlines, including Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways, Swiss, and Emirates, have suspended operations over Pakistani airspace, citing safety concerns. The US has urged both nations to de-escalate, with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval briefing his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, on the operation. Former US President Donald Trump expressed hope that the conflict would “end very quickly.”
As air defense units along the India-Pakistan border remain on high alert, the Indian government has scheduled a detailed briefing on Operation Sindoor later today. The strikes, hailed by Indian officials as “justice served,” have intensified the already strained relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors. With airports closed and flights grounded, the ripple effects of the operation are being felt across the region, leaving passengers stranded and airlines scrambling to adapt.
Travelers are advised to stay updated via airline websites and official channels as the situation evolves. The closure of key airports and airspace restrictions may persist, depending on the trajectory of India-Pakistan tensions in the coming days.
