India expands airspace closures amid escalating tensions with Pakistan
3 Min Read
India has suspended civilian flights across over 25 airports near the Pakistan border following military strikes, signaling heightened security risks and potential conflict escalation.
-
An Indian soldier stands guard near closed stores in Srinagar, Kashmir, on May 8. (AFP)
India has extended its suspension of civilian flights to more than 25 airports located near its border with Pakistan, signaling a significant escalation in regional tensions. According to individuals familiar with the matter, the move follows a series of military strikes carried out by New Delhi inside Pakistani territory, prompting a reassessment of threat levels.
The latest airport added to the closure list is a private airstrip in Mundra, owned by the Adani Group. This follows an earlier directive that ordered the closure of 16 airports. The expanded list now reflects an intensified threat perception, said the sources, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
The affected facilities include airports in cities such as Chandigarh, Shimla, Srinagar, Leh, Amritsar, Jamnagar, Jaisalmer, and Porbandar, all located in India's northern and western regions. The closure of these airports effectively halts civilian flight operations across large swaths of Indian airspace, which defense officials say is aimed at easing surveillance and military coordination in the event of retaliatory strikes by Pakistan.
The current approach is notably more cautious than India's previous military engagements with Pakistan since 1947. In 2019, for example, India had only briefly suspended flights to Srinagar and diverted traffic from other sensitive regions after launching airstrikes in response to a suicide bombing that killed 40 paramilitary personnel.
Read more: Timeline of India-Pakistan conflicts: 1947 partition - 2025's Pahalgam
Strategic sites like Jamnagar, Mundra among key shutdowns
Among the shut facilities is Jamnagar Airport, which provides access to Reliance Industries Ltd.’s major crude oil refinery. Mundra, another critical infrastructure hub, connects to India’s largest privately owned commercial port. Authorities have also ordered the shutdown of the airport in Bhatinda, home to an oil refinery jointly owned by Hindustan Petroleum Corp. and Mittal Energy Investment Pte.
The Airports Authority of India, which operates many of the shuttered airports, and the Adani Group have yet to issue public statements regarding the closures.
As fears of conflict rise, major international carriers are adjusting their routes. United Airlines Holdings Inc. has canceled its flights to India, while several of Europe’s largest airlines have begun rerouting planes to avoid Indian and Pakistani airspace. These detours have extended flight durations between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia by as much as 100 minutes, leading to increased fuel costs.
Many airlines were already circumventing Russian airspace due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, making the current rerouting even more disruptive for global aviation networks.
