Despite the recent ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India, flight operations across at least 24 Indian airports remained suspended on Sunday, with 444 scheduled flights cancelled amid heightened security concerns and ongoing military alertness in border regions.
According to Indian civil aviation sources, airports in key northern cities — including Amritsar, Srinagar, Jammu, Ladakh, Dharamshala, Shimla, Adampur and Chandigarh — remained non-operational as of Sunday morning. Reports suggest that all aircraft stationed at these airports have been removed and grounded flights are unlikely to resume soon.
At Srinagar Airport, which has now remained closed for seven consecutive days, 65 flights were cancelled. Leh Kaushik Airport in Ladakh saw all 30 of its daily operations suspended, while Jammu Airport cancelled another 30 flights. All stationed aircraft at these airports have been removed as a precautionary measure.
In addition, 84 flights scheduled to operate from Chandigarh Airport were also cancelled, while 14 flights from Dharamshala, 20 from Jodhpur, 20 from Rajkot Herasar, and 10 from Gujarat’s Bhuj Airport did not take off. Several other airports in central and western India also experienced full-day suspensions of scheduled services.
The widespread disruption in domestic aviation follows Pakistan’s recent retaliatory strikes after an alleged Indian incursion. According to military sources, the Pakistan Army launched its Fateh-1 missile system and reportedly destroyed India’s S-400 air defence system, valued at approximately $1.5 billion, at the Adampur air base using a hypersonic missile fired from a JF-17 Thunder aircraft.
The attacks marked a significant escalation in hostilities, prompting diplomatic intervention from the United States. Following a flurry of communications, a ceasefire was announced by both Islamabad and New Delhi two days ago.
However, the persistence of aviation closures suggests that Indian authorities remain wary of further escalations, with military installations across several northern states reportedly on high alert. No official comment has been made by India's Ministry of Defence or Civil Aviation Authority regarding when normal flight operations are expected to resume.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi has yet to respond to Pakistan’s claims regarding the destruction of its defence infrastructure.
The situation remains fluid, as regional observers caution that despite the ceasefire, both nations appear to be maintaining a posture of readiness, especially in sensitive border areas.
