Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, May 12: Following the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, all 32 airports in north, west, and central India that were shut for civil operations since May 7 have reopened as of 10:30 am Monday, bringing much-needed relief to thousands of stranded passengers.

Airlines, including IndiGo and Air India, began resuming services from Monday and aim to restore the suspended 350-400 daily flights in the coming days. IndiGo operated one of the first post-ceasefire flights 6E 2247 from Delhi to Jammu at 6:34 pm. The airline also resumed flights between Delhi-Chandigarh and Delhi-Amritsar and announced plans to add extra flights to clear the passenger backlog.

Air India stated that it will progressively restore services to and from key airports including Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, and Rajkot starting Tuesday, May 13. Bookings for these routes are already open.

Air India Express will also begin flights from May 13, with routes like Hindon-Bengaluru and Jammu-Delhi among the first. Hindon-Mumbai flights are scheduled to resume on Wednesday, with international services from Amritsar expected to follow from May 15.

Airports such as Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Chandigarh, Amritsar, and Jaisalmer were among those impacted by the temporary shutdown. The closure was part of India’s strategic security measures as Pakistani forces targeted civilian zones using drones and missiles, while controversially allowing civilian flights in its own airspace as shields.

Authorities at Chandigarh Airport confirmed operations resumed from 10:30 am and advised passengers to check with their airlines for the latest schedules.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation is coordinating with airlines to expedite normal operations and ensure smooth travel for all affected flyers.