India to reopen 32 shut airports after ceasefire with Pakistan

In a relief for flyers and domestic airlines, India’s aviation authorities have issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to reopen 32 shut airports following the ceasefire with Pakistan.

Airports, mostly in the northern and western parts of the country, were shut in the wake of escalating tensions with Pakistan on May 7.

IndiGo, India’s biggest airline, said it will "progressively commence" operations on the previously closed routes.

“In line with the latest government directives, the airports are open for operations. We will progressively commence operations on the previously closed routes,” the airline said in a post on X.

Reacting to the development, shares of InterGlobe Aviation , the parent company of IndiGo, soared as much as by 10% to hit a high of ₹5,599 on the BSE, taking the Gurugram-based airline's market capitalisation to around ₹2.13 lakh crore.

IndiGo said as services gradually return to normalcy, there may still be a few delays and last-minute adjustments. "We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as our teams work diligently to restore seamless operations,” IndiGo said. “We recommend checking your flight status regularly for the latest updates. As always, we will continue to keep you informed through our official channels,” it added. However, the airline will continue to offer free cancellation and date changes for flights operating from the affected airports until May 22.

Following IndiGo, Air India, too, said it is working towards "progressively commencing" flights to and from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot. "We appreciate your understanding at this time as our teams work on bringing operations at these airports back to normal," the Tata group-owned airline said in a post on X.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI), which operates most of these airports, said the 32 shut airports are now fully operational for civil aircraft movements with immediate effect. "In light of evolving circumstances and dynamic airspace conditions, commercial flight operations were temporarily suspended at 32 airports until 05:29 hrs of May 15, 2025. It is pleased to inform that these airports are now fully operational for #CivilAircraft movements with immediate effect. Passengers scheduled to travel via these airports are advised to stay updated by checking #FlightStatus directly with their respective airlines and monitor official airline websites for the latest information," the airport operator said in a post on X.

Following the announcement, Ajay Singh-led low-cost carrier, SpiceJet Ltd , said its teams are actively working to resume normal flight operations at the earliest. Shares of SpiceJet surged 10% in intraday trade to hit a high of ₹47.69 on the BSE.

IndiGo had earlier cancelled all flights to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner, Rajkot, Jodhpur, and Kishangarh until 0529 hours on May 15.

The 32 shut airports across India include Adhampur, Ambala, Amritsar, Awantipur, Bathinda, Bhuj, Bikaner, Chandigarh, Halwara, Hindon, Jaisalmer, Jammu, Jamnagar, Jodhpur and Kandla. The other affected airports are Kangra (Gaggal), Keshod, Kishangarh, Kullu Manali (Bhuntar), Leh, Ludhiana, Mundra, Naliya, Pathankot, Patiala, Porbandar, Rajkot (Hirasar), Sarsawa, Shimla, Srinagar, Thoise, and Uttarlai.