The North News
New Delhi, May 10
Thirty two airports across northern and western regions will remain closed for all civil flight operations till May 14( which corresponds to 0529 IST on May 15) , the Airports Authority of India (AAI) confirmed in a series of NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen). The affected airports span key strategic and civilian locations, including Amritsar, Srinagar, Leh, Chandigarh, Jammu, Bhuj, and Jaipur’s satellite hubs such as Kishangarh and Kullu Manali. The closures also extend to military-civil dual-use airports such as Hindon, Halwara, and Adampur. All flight activities at these locations will be suspended until 0529 IST on 15 May.
The AAI, in coordination with other aviation and defence authorities, cited “operational reasons” for the blanket closure, though no further explanation was provided. The move has raised eyebrows given the tense regional backdrop and recent security alerts, though the government has not publicly linked the shutdown to any specific military activity.
In addition to the ground closures, 25 segments of crucial Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes within the Delhi and Mumbai Flight Information Regions (FIRs) will remain restricted. These air corridors will be off-limits from ground level to unlimited altitude until midnight UTC on 14 May.
The revised NOTAM (G0555/25) supersedes an earlier advisory and instructs airlines to reroute flights accordingly. Aviation officials emphasised that the closures are being managed in tandem with ATC units to ensure safety and minimise disruption to commercial operators.
Airlines are expected to face logistical hurdles, particularly on routes connecting major urban centres to remote northern locations. With many of the impacted airports serving as seasonal lifelines to Himalayan and border regions, the timing could affect both civilian movement and tourism.
No direct mention was made of Pakistan or any ongoing regional tensions, but analysts suggest the timing and scale of the airspace lockdown indicate coordinated military preparedness.
