The effect of the growing tension between India and Pakistan is now being seen on air traffic as well. Major airlines Air India and IndiGo have canceled flights to and from 7 major cities of the country till May 13, 2025 as a precaution.
Why were the flights canceled?
The cities from which flights have been temporarily suspended are:
Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jodhpur and Rajkot.
What is the reason for the decision?
This decision was taken after the recent ‘Operation Sindoor’ launched by India. As part of this operation, the Indian Air Force targeted terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). After this, drone and missile attacks were attempted by Pakistan, which were thwarted by the Indian security forces in time.
Drone activities were seen in several parts of Jammu and Kashmir last night, after which an air safety alert was issued.
What did the airlines say?
Air India said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter):
“In view of the situation and keeping in mind the safety of passengers, flight services from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jodhpur and Rajkot on May 13 have been cancelled.”
Indigo also said that in its travel advisory
“The airspace situation in the area is constantly changing. Please check the status of your flight before going to the airport.”
Pakistan also banned flights
Following India’s retaliatory strikes, Pakistan has also suspended all its domestic and international flight operations until further notice. Airports in major cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad have been affected the most.