Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, May 12 : After remaining suspended for days, the flight operations at Srinagar International Airport are set to resume from Tuesday morning, bringing much-needed relief to stranded passengers, including Hajj pilgrims.
The closure of 32 airports, including Srinagar, was enforced following India’s Operation Sindoor, a targeted military operation launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.
Details gathered by the news agency, said the flight operations, which remained suspended for days, are all set to resume from tomorrow morning.
Earlier today, a senior official at Srinagar airport confirmed the resumption of services.
“We are hopeful that flight operations will commence from tomorrow. The green signal has been given to us,” he said, adding the airport was operational from this morning as well and the confirmation was only awaited from airlines about their activities and people they carry.
Notably, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), in a press statement, announced that the 32 previously closed airports are now available for civil aircraft operations with immediate effect.
“Reference notice issued for temporary closure of 32 airports for civil aircraft operations till 05:29 hrs of 15 May 2025. It is informed that these airports are now available for civil aircraft operations with immediate effect,” the statement reads.
Similarly, the travelers have been advised to directly check flight status with their respective airlines and monitor official websites for updates.
Moreover, in response to the government’s directive, SpiceJet announced an additional commercial flight from Delhi to Srinagar, scheduled to arrive at 07:35 hrs and depart at 08:10 hrs on Tuesday morning.
Also, IndiGo Airlines issued a travel advisory acknowledging the reopening of airports and gradual restoration of services. “We will progressively commence operations on the previously closed routes. As services gradually return to normal, there may still be a few delays and last-minute adjustments,” the advisory said, urging passengers to regularly check flight status and stay updated through IndiGo’s official channels.
IndiGo further informed that change and cancellation fee waivers remain available until May 22, for bookings to and from affected airports. “Your comfort, confidence, and convenience while traveling with us remain our top priorities,” the statement added.
SpiceJet also encouraged passengers to track real-time updates at spicejet.com/#status and said its teams are actively working to resume normal flight operations as soon as possible. In addition to this, other airlines like Air India and others issued advisories and schedules.
In addition to flight operations, officials also confirmed that scheduled Hajj flights from Srinagar, initially impacted by the closure, will now operate as planned on May 14 and 15.
Officials told KNO that seven Hajj flights carrying 320 pilgrims each had to be cancelled and special arrangements for them are also made.
Notably, with the airport reopening, the revised operations are expected to proceed smoothly.
It is pertinent to mention, the suspension of flight operations came amid rising security concerns in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, and rising tensions between India and Pakistan. Srinagar, being among the affected airports, witnessed significant disruption in travel plans, especially for pilgrims, students, and medical patients
