Commercial flight operations have been suspended at 27 airports across northern, western, and central India until 5:29 am on Saturday. The closures have caused widespread air traffic disruption, with 430 flights cancelled by Indian carriers on Thursday&mdash;about 3% of the country&rsquo;s scheduled daily flights. Pakistani airlines also cancelled over 147 flights, roughly 17% of their total operations.
Flight tracking service Flightradar24 reported that airspace over Pakistan and India&rsquo;s western corridor&mdash;from Kashmir to Gujarat&mdash;was largely clear of civilian traffic.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Airspace over Pakistan and the western shoulder of India between Kashmir and Gujarat was free of civilian air traffic as airlines shunned the sensitive zone,&rdquo; it stated, sharing live flight path data.
The Indian airports affected include Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda, Halwara, Pathankot, Bhuntar, Shimla, Gaggal, Dharamsala, Kishangarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Mundra, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Kandla, Keshod, Bhuj, Gwalior, and Hindon. Some of these airports also serve military operations.
Most airlines have rerouted or cancelled services to avoid the restricted airspace. On Wednesday, around 250 flights had already been cancelled. Air India diverted two international flights bound for Amritsar to Delhi.&nbsp;
American Airlines cancelled its Delhi&ndash;New York service. Foreign carriers have largely stopped using Pakistani airspace, instead flying over Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Operations at 21 Indian airports were suspended on Wednesday after missile strikes by the Indian armed forces on terror targets in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor. Key airports in Srinagar, Leh, Jammu, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Jodhpur were shut. Delhi saw partial disruption, with over 140 flight cancellations.
The shutdown spans Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi NCR. Several carriers, including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air, issued advisories urging passengers to check their flight status before heading to airports.
IndiGo stated on X that flights to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, and Bikaner were affected due to changing airspace conditions. &ldquo;Continuing our efforts to provide support to our customers and accommodate their travel plan changes, we are extending full waiver of change and cancellation fees for travel to/from Srinagar until 22nd May 2025, for bookings made on or before 22nd April 2025,&rdquo; the airline posted.
Air India cancelled all flights to and from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot until 12 noon on May 7, pending regulatory updates.&nbsp;
Its low-cost division, Air India Express, confirmed that multiple flights were affected and advised customers to update their contact information for real-time notifications.
SpiceJet suspended flights to and from Dharamshala, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, and Amritsar until further notice, stating that connecting flights would also be affected. Akasa Air, which operates services to several affected cities, advised passengers to monitor updates via its website and helpline.
Meanwhile, cross-border shelling by the Pakistan Army along the Line of Control (LoC) has resulted in 13 deaths, including four children and a soldier, and injuries to 59 others, officials confirmed. The shelling, one of the most intense in years, followed India&rsquo;s missile strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
In Poonch district, which accounted for all 13 deaths, artillery fire damaged homes, vehicles, and public buildings. A Gurudwara in Poonch town was hit, killing three Sikh men&mdash;Bhai Amrik Singh Ji (a raagi), Bhai Amarjeet Singh, and Bhai Ranjit Singh.&nbsp;
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal condemned the incident on X, stating: &ldquo;Strongly condemn the inhuman attack by Pakistani forces on the sacred Central Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Poonch, in which three innocent Gursikhs, including Bhai Amrik Singh Ji (a raagi Singh), Bhai Amarjeet Singh and Bhai Ranjit Singh lost their lives.&rdquo;
The other deceased were identified as Balvinder Kour alias Ruby (33), Mohd Zain Khan (10), Zoya Khan (12), Mohd Akram (40), Amrik Singh (55), Mohd Iqbal (45), Ranjeet Singh (48), Shakeela Bi (40), Amarjeet Singh (47), Maryam Khatoon (7), Vihaan Bhargav (13), Mohd Rafi (40), and a Lance Naik of the Indian Army. Among the 44 injured in Poonch, two were in serious condition.
The shelling also affected the districts of Rajouri, Baramulla, and Kupwara. Ten people, including five children, were injured in Uri sector of Baramulla, while three were hurt in Rajouri. In Kupwara&rsquo;s Karnah sector, several houses caught fire.
According to officials, Pakistani shelling targeted Balakote, Mendhar, Mankote, Krishna Ghati, Gulpur, Kerni, and even the Poonch district headquarters. The shelling remained intense until noon before continuing intermittently. Transporting the injured to hospitals proved challenging due to the ongoing fire, and the Poonch bus stand was also struck, damaging multiple buses.
A defence spokesperson confirmed that Pakistani forces initiated arbitrary artillery shelling from positions across the LoC and International Border during the night of May 6-7. Indian forces responded proportionately, destroying several enemy posts and causing significant casualties.
Authorities closed all educational institutions in five border districts of Jammu on Wednesday as a precaution. The ongoing cross-border firing marks the 13th consecutive night of ceasefire violations, a rare occurrence since the renewed ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan on February 25, 2021. The escalation follows the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, south Kashmir, which left 26 civilians dead.
(With inputs from agencies)
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(Left) Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and Indian PM Narendra Modi (Right)

India shuts 27 airports after missile strikes; Pakistan responds with deadly shelling along LoC regions

Airspace Shutdown, Shelling Escalate Indo-Pak Tensions

India shuts 27 airports after missile strikes; Pakistan responds with deadly shelling along LoC regions

May 8, 2025 | 14:00 IST