Operation Sindoor: Flights operations resume at Srinagar airport

Flight operations at Srinagar International Airport resumed on Tuesday after remaining suspended for several days due to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, officials confirmed.

 

The first commercial flight to land at the airport was an Air India service from Delhi on Tuesday morning, marking the formal restart of civilian air traffic.

 

The temporary suspension of services had been imposed at 32 airports, including Srinagar, after the launch of Operation Sindoor by India targeting terror camps in Pakistan. 

 

The action came in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, including several tourists and a local horse ride operator.

 

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had issued a series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMS) last week to halt flights at key airports across northern and western India amid the military standoff. On Monday, officials announced that the aerodrome closure NOTAM for Srinagar had been revoked, allowing the airport to resume flight operations.

 

The suspension had also disrupted Hajj operations from Srinagar, delaying outbound flights for pilgrims. However, with services now resuming, airlines are gradually restarting their scheduled flights.

 

SpiceJet on Tuesday announced that it would resume its Hajj 2025 operations from Srinagar on May 14, operating two wide-body Airbus A340 flights to Medina, each capable of carrying 324 passengers. The airline said it would facilitate the travel of around 15,500 Hajj pilgrims this year, with 45 flights scheduled in the first phase connecting Srinagar, Gaya, Guwahati, and Kolkata to Medina and Jeddah.

 

The reopening of Srinagar airport is a crucial development for the Kashmir Valley, where air travel remains a key link to the rest of the country. Located approximately 10 kilometres from Lal Chowk, the city’s commercial centre, the airport also plays a vital role in boosting tourism, a major component of the region’s economy.

 

While flight operations have resumed, services will scale up gradually based on airline approvals and ongoing security assessments.

India