32 airports to resume operations after cessation of hostilities between India, Pakistan

Civil aviation authorities have decided to reopen 32 airports in northern and western India that were shut for civil flight operations following last week's armed conflict between India and Pakistan, PTI reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the development.

A formal announcement regarding the resumption of operations at these airports is expected soon, according to the report.

Civil flight operations at the affected airports, including Srinagar, Amritsar, Jammu, and Leh, were suspended from May 9 to May 15 as a precautionary measure amid heightened military tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI), along with other aviation authorities, had issued a series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), announcing the temporary closure.

According to a release by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the suspension was enforced from "May 9, 2025, to May 14, 2025 (corresponding to 0529 IST on 15th May 2025), due to operational reasons."

The airports affected by the shutdown include Adhampur, Ambala, Amritsar, Awantipur, Bathinda, Bhuj, Bikaner, Chandigarh, Halwara, Hindon, Jammu, Jaisalmer, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, Kandla, Kangra (Gaggal), Keshod, Kishangarh, Kullu Manali (Bhuntar), and Leh.

Others listed by the DGCA were Ludhiana, Mundra, Naliya, Pathankot, Patiala, Porbandar, Rajkot (Hirasar), Sarsawa, Shimla, Srinagar, Thoise, and Uttarlai.

The reopening of airports follows an understanding between India and Pakistan, with both sides halting military operations after a high-level conversation between their Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) on Saturday.

Shortly after the talks, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to cease all hostilities on land, air, and sea with immediate effect, pushing back against suggestions of third-party mediation, particularly by Washington.

Tensions had escalated after Indian forces conducted precision strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on May 7, in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Pakistan responded with drone and missile attacks on Indian territories, targeting strategic sites across several states. The Indian military successfully intercepted several of these attempts, including eight missiles fired at Jammu on Thursday evening.

Briefing the media on Operation Sindoor, Indian DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai said the military achieved its objectives, eliminating 35-40 Pakistani military personnel and over 100 terrorists, including high-value targets such as Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf, and Mudasir Ahmed. The Indian military also acknowledged suffering some losses but declined to provide the details as the operations are going on. Senior commanders from the Army, Air Force, and Navy detailed how the coordinated operation dismantled nine terror camps and thwarted Pakistan's attempts to target Indian military and civilian infrastructure.

Ghai paid tribute to five Indian personnel and civilians who lost their lives during the operation, asserting that India had exercised restraint but would respond with “decisive force” to any threat to its sovereignty.