India shuts 28 airports; Air India & IndiGo cancel flights until May 15 amid Pakistan drone strikes

Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan, the Government of India has extended the closure of 28 airports across the country until the morning of May 15. The decision comes after a major security breach involving multiple drone intrusions and airspace violations by the Pakistani military, targeting military infrastructure in Northern and Western India.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed the extension on Friday, citing security concerns following a series of coordinated drone strikes. A senior government official stated that the closure was decided upon after a high-level meeting with stakeholders, and airlines have been duly informed.

Budget carrier IndiGo, in its advisory, said, “In accordance with the latest directives from relevant authorities, all flights to and from the following destinations will remain cancelled until 5:29 am on May 15 due to temporary airport closures.” These destinations include Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner, Rajkot, Jodhpur, and Kishangarh.

“These precautionary measures have been instituted with your safety and security as our highest priority. We remain fully committed to providing unwavering support while navigating this situation together,” IndiGo’s statement added.

#TravelAdvisory
Following a notification from aviation authorities on continued closure of multiple airports in India, Air India flights to and from the following stations – Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Bhuj, Jamnagar and Rajkot – are being cancelled till…

— Air India (@airindia) May 9, 2025

Air India also issued a travel advisory via social media platform X (formerly Twitter), confirming flight cancellations to and from airports in Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Bhuj, Jamnagar, and Rajkot. The airline is offering a one-time waiver on rescheduling charges or a full refund for affected passengers.

Drone intrusions and escalation

The closure comes in the wake of a large-scale drone and missile assault launched by Pakistan on the night of May 7 and 8. Addressing a press briefing, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi revealed that the Pakistani army had deployed between 300 to 400 drones across 36 locations along the western border.

“The Indian armed forces shot down many of these drones using both kinetic and non-kinetic methods,” she said, adding that the intrusions aimed to test India’s air defence systems and gather military intelligence. Initial reports suggest the drones used were Turkish-made Asisguard Songar models.

Colonel Qureshi also confirmed that Pakistan fired heavy-calibre weapons along the Line of Control (LoC), and that forensic investigations into the drone wreckage are underway.

Hamas-style rocket attack on Jammu

Defence sources told ANI that in a major escalation, Pakistan used low-cost, Hamas-style rockets to attack areas in Jammu on Thursday. This retaliation followed India’s Operation Sindoor, a precision strike by the Indian armed forces that targeted nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on May 8.

The Indian offensive was a direct response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.

Earlier, Indian forces had neutralised more than 50 Pakistani drones in a sweeping counter-drone operation along the Line of Control and International Borders. Reports also confirmed that India successfully thwarted a large-scale missile and drone assault by Pakistan on various military installations in the north and west. Additionally, India’s air defence units reportedly neutralised a key air defence system stationed in Lahore.

As the situation remains volatile, authorities are urging travellers to stay updated on flight advisories and are actively monitoring potential future threats.