IndiGo cancels flights to 10 cities, including Srinagar, Leh & Amritsar, till May 10
Following India's 'Operation Sindoor,' heightened security measures have led to widespread flight cancellations and airport closures across northern and northwestern India. IndiGo and other major airlines have cancelled flights to several cities until May 10th.
NEW DELHI: IndiGo on Friday announced that flights to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, and Rajkot have been cancelled until 23.59 hours on May 10.
With several airports across India shutting down commercial operations in the wake of India's 'Operation Sindoor' on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the
Bureau of Civil Aviation Security
(BCAS) has issued a fresh advisory to all airlines and airport operators. The circular mandates enhanced security protocols at all airports across the country.
As per the advisory, all passengers will now have to undergo Secondary Ladder Point Checks (SLPC).
Operation Sindoor
Operation Sindoor: India deploys warships forward as situation at LoC explodes
Air siren warning sounded in Chandigarh, Ambala residents advised to stay indoors
L-70 guns, Schilka, S-400: Weapons India used to intercept Pak drones
Visitor entry into terminal buildings has been banned. Additionally, deployment of air marshals will be carried out accordingly, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has stated.
In light of these enhanced measures, airlines have asked passengers to arrive at airports well in advance of their scheduled departure time. Air India, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said, 'In view of an order by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security on enhanced measures at airports, passengers across India are advised to arrive at their respective airports at least three hours prior to scheduled departure to ensure smooth check-in and boarding.
Check-in closes 75 minutes before departure.'
SpiceJet also issued a similar advisory on X, stating, 'In light of enhanced security measures across all airports, passengers are advised to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours prior to departure to ensure a smooth check-in and boarding process.'
Akasa Air echoed the same, urging passengers to reach airports at least three hours before departure. 'Due to enhanced security measures at all airports across India, we request you to reach the airport at least 3 hours prior to departure, to ensure a seamless check-in and boarding experience.
Please ensure you carry valid government-approved photo identification documents for entry to the airport. In addition to your check-in baggage, only one handbag weighing up to 7 kg will be permitted.
As per regulatory guidelines, all passengers will be required to undergo secondary security checks before boarding,' the airline said in its advisory.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or rescheduled by various airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, Akasa Air, and Air India Express, as 27 airports in north and north-western India remain closed.
The widespread shutdown has significantly disrupted air travel, with 430 flights cancelled on Thursday alone—accounting for nearly 3% of India's total scheduled flights.
Flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 showed nearly empty skies across the western corridor of India and Pakistan.
Full list of closed airports
Passengers are advised to carefully plan their travel over the next few days and confirm the status of their flights. Here is the complete list of airports currently shut:
Punjab/Himachal/Chandigarh:
Chandigarh, Srinagar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Bhuntar, Patiala, Shimla, Kangra-Gaggal, Bathinda, Pathankot
Rajasthan:
Kishangarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner
Jammu & Kashmir/Ladakh:
Jammu, Leh
Gujarat:
Mundra, Jamnagar, Rajkot (Hirasar), Porbandar, Keshod, Kandla, Bhuj.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
39 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘IndiGo, you're going down': Man misses connection flight from Jaipur, claims he lost Rs 2.65 lakh deal
A LinkedIn post by Chayan Garg has stirred debate online after he recounted how poor handling by IndiGo staff at Jaipur airport allegedly caused him to miss a crucial flight, ultimately costing him a client deal worth Rs 2.65 lakh. In a post titled 'IndiGo, you're going down,' Garg described how what was meant to be a routine work trip from Jaipur to Mumbai turned into him losing a 'high-stakes client meeting.' 'I reached the airport at 4:40 AM, cleared security by 5:10 AM, and was told by the IndiGo executive that boarding would begin in 10–15 minutes,' Garg wrote. With time to spare and the boarding gate crowded, he said he briefly stepped away to use the washroom. 'When I came back after 12 minutes, I was told boarding was closed. I was literally surprised as the boarding was supposed to start, not end.' What frustrated him further, he claimed, was the lack of any announcement. When he questioned the staff, he was told that Jaipur is a 'silent airport' where announcements are minimal. However, Garg countered this by pointing out that 'just minutes earlier, there was an announcement for the Dehradun flight from IndiGo.' When he mentioned this to the staff, 'they denied it straight to my face.' Despite pleading with staff and explaining the urgency of his client meeting, Garg says he was not allowed to board and received no support. 'No alternate option. No help with the next flight. No refund. No empathy,' he wrote. The fallout, he claims, was severe: 'We lost the client. Rs 2.65 lakh down the drain. A month's effort gone in seconds.' He ended the post by tagging consumer rights advocate Revant Himatsingka and asking for help, 'I'm genuinely clueless right now.' The post quickly went viral, striking a chord with many online. One user commented, 'I cannot imagine the number of people who have gone through something similar but were never properly compensated because they lack a platform and people who would listen. I really hope this post helps all of them.' Another user commented: 'I am sorry for what you went through, and I am not related to IndiGo, but if you tell the situation to the client, I am sure they would understand. If they don't, you should be grateful that you didn't end up working with someone who does not understand uncontrollable circumstances.' Some users also raised practical concerns, with one said, 'Strange. Normally they call on your mobile number if you miss the boarding, personal experience. Early morning flights are boarded before time as the plane is already parked overnight and they have to reduce time lag throughout the day.' IndiGo eventually responded to the controversy, acknowledging the passenger's frustration but standing by their protocol. 'Dear Mr Garg, we understand how disappointing it can be to miss a flight, and our carefully planned travel gets disrupted. However, as per our review, the boarding gate closed 25 minutes before departure, in line with standard procedure. Unfortunately, your arrival was after gate closure, by which time final preparations for take-off were already underway. Our airport team offered the next available flight to support you, and while we respect your decision not to proceed with it, we genuinely appreciate your patience and understanding. At IndiGo, we are committed to continuously working towards smoother, more seamless journeys for all our customers,' the airline wrote in a comment.
Economic Times
7 hours ago
- Economic Times
Amid Covid & global chaos, Indians' big fear: Missing that flight
Despite global uncertainties, travel is booming. Summer holiday packages are more expensive this year. Destinations like Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Georgia are popular, but Thailand remains a favorite. Domestic spots like Ladakh and Goa are also in demand. Bookings have recovered after a brief lull. Southern India, Uttarakhand and Goa are seeing increased interest. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Kanika Mehra, a schoolteacher from Noida is looking up flights and hotels for her upcoming holiday this month. It's turning out to be a difficult choice. June flight fares for Vietnam, a destination at the top of her list, are about 50% higher than those in July, signalling high demand during the summer school break. Mehra, wanting to escape the domestic summer rush in the hills, turns to Sri Lanka. But the southwest monsoon season is playing on her mind, though the fares are lighter on the fares for Georgia, another emerging destination, are up as well and the visa will take over 10 days to arrive. She says she'll likely pick Thailand eventually, considering the easier access and more reasonable global uncertainties, and the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in India, travel sentiment remains strong and holiday packages for ongoing summer breaks for both domestic and international destinations are pricier by up to 15 % year-on-year, said travel experts.'Travellers had been in the waitand-watch mode last month following Operation Sindoor, but bookings are now happening full throttle,' said a travel industry could rise up to 15%, especially to international destinations such as Georgia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka, which have turned out to be more affordable than some of the top domestic spots over the past year, said Tavleen Bhatia, chief marketing and revenue officer at 2024, Vietnam welcomed about 500,000 Indian tourists, a fourfold jump from pre-pandemic levels. India was the top primary market for Sri Lanka in December last year with 52,881 arrivals, accounting for a 21.3% share. Around 124,300 Indian tourists visited Georgia in 2024, marking a 46.8% increase from the previous destinations in demand are Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Kerala while popular international ones include Bhutan, Thailand and Sri Lanka.A three-night Goa getaway package for the second week of June for two adults is priced at Rs 66,290, inclusive of flights, hotel, one activity and four meals on a popular travel comparison, a four-night-five-day package for two at Ha Long Bay in Vietnam for June 22 is substantially lower at Rs 47,932 on the same platform. That includes hotel accommodation, four activities and nine average, package prices are up 7-8% compared to last summer, primarily driven by high demand, fuel prices and dynamic airfare fluctuations, Jatinder Paul Singh, CEO and cofounder of Viacation.'For domestic travel, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Andaman and Ooty are among the top picks,' he said. 'Internationally, destinations like Bali, Thailand, Maldives and Sri Lanka continue to attract significant interest from Indian travellers.' Occupancies are 13% higher than last year for StayVista while average room rates are up 6%, said Amit Damani, cofounder of the villa and bungalow rental company. 'There was a concern around how summer bookings will pan out following the conflict between India and Pakistan, but bookings have bounced back from the second half of May,' he said. 'We are especially seeing higher demand in Southern India, Uttarakhand and Goa.' Bhutan is seeing high interest, said SD Nandakumar, president and country head for holidays and corporate tours at SOTC is a notable surge in travel interest for Tokyo and Abu Dhabi this summer with the destinations seeing a 110% and 180% increase in searches, respectively, from the same time last year, said Santosh Kumar, country manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia at Darjeeling, Rishikesh and Munnar are among the top 10 most searched destinations this month,' he added.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
Amid Covid & global chaos, Indians' big fear: Missing that flight
Kanika Mehra, a schoolteacher from Noida is looking up flights and hotels for her upcoming holiday this month. It's turning out to be a difficult choice. June flight fares for Vietnam, a destination at the top of her list, are about 50% higher than those in July, signalling high demand during the summer school break. Mehra, wanting to escape the domestic summer rush in the hills, turns to Sri Lanka. But the southwest monsoon season is playing on her mind, though the fares are lighter on the pocket. Flight fares for Georgia, another emerging destination, are up as well and the visa will take over 10 days to arrive. She says she'll likely pick Thailand eventually, considering the easier access and more reasonable fares. Despite global uncertainties, and the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in India, travel sentiment remains strong and holiday packages for ongoing summer breaks for both domestic and international destinations are pricier by up to 15 % year-on-year, said travel experts. 'Travellers had been in the waitand-watch mode last month following Operation Sindoor, but bookings are now happening full throttle,' said a travel industry insider. Live Events Fares could rise up to 15%, especially to international destinations such as Georgia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka, which have turned out to be more affordable than some of the top domestic spots over the past year, said Tavleen Bhatia, chief marketing and revenue officer at Cleartrip. In 2024, Vietnam welcomed about 500,000 Indian tourists, a fourfold jump from pre-pandemic levels. India was the top primary market for Sri Lanka in December last year with 52,881 arrivals, accounting for a 21.3% share. Around 124,300 Indian tourists visited Georgia in 2024, marking a 46.8% increase from the previous year. Domestic destinations in demand are Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Kerala while popular international ones include Bhutan, Thailand and Sri Lanka. A three-night Goa getaway package for the second week of June for two adults is priced at Rs 66,290, inclusive of flights, hotel, one activity and four meals on a popular travel portal. In comparison, a four-night-five-day package for two at Ha Long Bay in Vietnam for June 22 is substantially lower at Rs 47,932 on the same platform. That includes hotel accommodation, four activities and nine meals. On average, package prices are up 7-8% compared to last summer, primarily driven by high demand, fuel prices and dynamic airfare fluctuations, Jatinder Paul Singh, CEO and cofounder of Viacation. 'For domestic travel, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Andaman and Ooty are among the top picks,' he said. 'Internationally, destinations like Bali, Thailand, Maldives and Sri Lanka continue to attract significant interest from Indian travellers.' Occupancies are 13% higher than last year for StayVista while average room rates are up 6%, said Amit Damani, cofounder of the villa and bungalow rental company. 'There was a concern around how summer bookings will pan out following the conflict between India and Pakistan, but bookings have bounced back from the second half of May,' he said. 'We are especially seeing higher demand in Southern India, Uttarakhand and Goa.' Bhutan is seeing high interest, said SD Nandakumar, president and country head for holidays and corporate tours at SOTC Travel. There is a notable surge in travel interest for Tokyo and Abu Dhabi this summer with the destinations seeing a 110% and 180% increase in searches, respectively, from the same time last year, said Santosh Kumar, country manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia at 'Manali, Darjeeling, Rishikesh and Munnar are among the top 10 most searched destinations this month,' he added.
