India closes several airports; Air India, SpiceJet cancels flights to northern regions

Following the escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, air travel in Srinagar and several other parts of north India has been closed on Wednesday.

Air India has canceled all its flights to eight airports in India's north until 12 noon local time (UTC+5:30) on May 7 "in view of the prevailing situation."

#TravelAdvisory

In view of the prevailing situation, Air India has cancelled all its flights to and from the following stations – Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot – till 12 noon on 7 May, pending further updates from authorities.…

— Air India (@airindia) May 6, 2025

It also said it was diverting international flights en route to Amritsar, a city less than 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from Pakistan's border, to the Indian capital of New Delhi.

Indian budget airline SpiceJet said that airports including Dharamshala, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar and Amritsar were "closed until further notice."

#TravelUpdate: Due to ongoing situation, airports in parts of northern India, including Dharamshala (DHM), Leh (IXL), Jammu (IXJ), Srinagar (SXR), and Amritsar (ATQ), are closed until further notice. Departures, arrivals, and consequential flights may be impacted. Passengers are…

— SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) May 6, 2025

In a post on X, it advised passengers to check their flight status as departures and arrivals may be impacted.

Pakistan closes airspace for 48 hours

Pakistan's aviation authority has closed the country's airspace for 48 hours.

This has led to the suspension of all flight operations from major airports, including Pakistan's capital Islamabad, as well as Karachi and Lahore, the regional capital of the Punjab province.

Live flight tracker Flightradar24 shows a virtually empty airspace above Pakistan and lists dozens of cancelled flights.

Major international airlines, such as Qatar Airways, have announced the temporary suspension of flights to Pakistan because of the airspace closure.