Air India suspends flights to Jammu and Kashmir, holiday declared in educational institutions in J&K, and border areas of Punjab, international flights affected
Amid ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan following the Indian Army’s precision strikes on Pakistani terror camps, Spicejet Airlines on Wednesday issued a flight advisory for airports in the northern parts of the country.
Taking to social media X, the airlines in a post wrote that airports including Dharamshala, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar and Amritsar would be closed until further notice, further stating that departures, arrivals and consequential flights would also be impacted.
The airlines also requested passengers to plan their journey accordingly and check their flight status before flying.
“Due to the 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 advised to plan their journey accordingly and check flight status,” the post read.
Meanwhile, Indigo Airlines also issued a flight advisory for its commuters flying to and from selected cities in the country.
Taking to social media X, Indigo in a post on X stated that flights to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh and Dharamshala would be impacted. The airlines requested passengers to check flight status before reaching the airport.
“Due to changing airspace conditions in the region, our flights to and from #Srinagar, #Jammu, #Amritsar, #Leh, #Chandigarh and #Dharamshala are impacted. We request you to check your flight status before reaching the airport,” the post read.
Furthermore, flights to and from Bikaner will also be impacted by the current airspace restrictions. “Update: Flights to/from #Bikaner are also impacted by the current airspace restrictions. We request you to check your flight status before reaching the airport,” the post further reads.
Meanwhile, Air India said, “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. Two international flights en route to Amritsar are being diverted to Delhi. We regret the inconvenience caused due to this unforeseen disruption.”
Earlier, India’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that the strikes were part of “Operation Sindoor,” targeting nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The ministry stated, “Our actions have been focused, measured and nonescalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted.” The operation followed the “barbaric” Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen.
Srinagar Airfield closed
Amidst the deteriorating situation after the successful execution of Operation Sindoor, the Airports Authority of India has said that Srinagar’s airfield will remain officially closed on 7th May. There will be no commercial flights operating in or out of the region.
Holiday declared in Jammu and Kashmir educational institutions
On Wednesday (7th May), the Jammu administration announced a holiday for all educational institutions in five districts across Jammu as tensions escalate with Pakistan in the border area. While Pakistani forces have continuously been violating the ceasefire after the Pahalgam attack, it violated the ceasefire on Wednesday, venting frustration over Operation Sindoor and resorted to arbitrary firing from posts across the Line of Control and the International Border opposite Jammu and Kashmir. Reports say that 10 civilians have lost their lives in the indiscriminate firing by Pakistan. Meanwhile, 38 are reported injured.
Taking to X, Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar said, “In view of the prevailing situation, all schools, colleges and educational institutions in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch will remain closed today.”
Meanwhile, educational institutions, schools, and colleges in Baramulla, Kupwara and Gurez will also remain closed for today.
In a statement, Kashmir University said that all examinations scheduled for May 7th 2025, stand postponed and that fresh dates for the exams will be announced later.
Similarly, the Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner announced that all schools in Punjab’s border districts, including Ferozepur and Pathankot, will remain closed for the next 72 hours.
Operation Sindoor
On the intervening night of 6th and 7th May, India launched precision missile strikes on terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan as part of Operation Sindoor, avenging the recent Pahalgam attack on Hindu pilgrims. Nine targets were hit in the coordinated offensive, all of which were successfully neutralised. One of the most significant targets was Markaz Subhan Allah, which is the operational headquarters of the banned terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
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