India Locks Down Airport Operations After Cross-Border Drone Strikes
The aftermath of Pakistan’s drone strikes in Poonch has thrown both travel plans and daily routines into disarray for thousands in northern and western India. Following the May 9 attacks, where civilian buildings took the brunt of the damage, the Indian government isn’t taking any chances. It’s not just short-term panic—authorities have gone ahead and extended the closure of 24 airports close to the Pakistan border all the way until May 15, 2025.
Security agents have tightened their hold at every corner. Airports across the region buzz with extra patrols and stricter checks, while check-in lines stretch even longer as luggage and ID controls ramp up. Major airlines, including Air India and IndiGo, have completely pulled flights from these 24 airports, impacting regions like Srinagar, Leh, Amritsar, and several lesser-known but strategically important airfields. If you were planning travel through these hubs, you’re stuck with cancellations—and there were a staggering 430 flight scrubs recorded on May 7 alone.
International travel isn’t any easier. After the closures, big names like Emirates and Lufthansa refuse to fly through Pakistani airspace. All routes from Delhi to Europe now avoid both Pakistan and the sensitive border zone, veering south above the Arabian Sea instead. It sounds simple, but this detour means longer time in the air: flights stretch an hour or two past their usual duration. Pilots and airlines burn through more fuel, with cost spikes reaching up to 10 percent, biting into airlines’ already slim profit margins.
Escalating Tensions: Airspace Bans and Everyday Disruption
Travel chaos is only part of the story. The knock-on effects of the conflict reach straight into daily life. IPL cricket matches, iconic in India, aren’t immune—one scheduled in Dharamshala got suspended, a clear sign that the situation isn’t just a regional squabble but a national concern with cultural impact.
The government isn’t shy about naming names either. Officials made it clear that Pakistan was behind the Poonch drone blitz, prompting citywide blackouts and howling air raid sirens in border states. People in frontier regions have been living with sudden alarms, rapid evacuations, and upside-down routines, all while their own airports stay off-limits.
This closure wave didn’t come out of nowhere. On April 24, Pakistan banned Indian airlines from its skies, and India shot back with its own ban by the end of the month. The result? Even international flight maps are redrawn, and airlines have to dig deep to find new, safe paths.
It’s hard to overstate just how disruptive this has been for both ordinary people and the airline industry. Beyond travel delays, families are dealing with uncertainty as regional economies take a hit, and whole communities are cut off by grounded planes. For now, airline planners have been told to map out routes that strictly avoid the zones around the 24 shuttered airports, and authorities have signaled there’s no end in sight until the risks fade.
Every single cancellation and rerouted jet exposes just how high the stakes are when geopolitical friction spills out onto the tarmac. If peace talks don’t heat up, it’s not only travelers who’ll be grounded—it’s the whole cross-border flow of business, tourism, and family connections that hangs in the balance.