Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Thursday, May 15, that all flights to Srinagar have been restored as tensions between India and Pakistan ease following a ceasefire understanding.
He also urged people from all over India to visit the Kashmir Valley. Naidu said, “We have opened all flight schedules from today [May 15]—whether it’s Delhi, Mumbai, or other connections, all have been restored,” he told media.
“People here are going through a difficult time in terms of tourism, economy and business. All flight connections to Srinagar have been restored. Kashmir is safe. We want people to visit again. We must support Kashmir’s economy. I met the locals here who voiced that tourism should be encouraged. The government will take all necessary steps in this direction,” he said. Outlook Traveller, too, did a report speaking to the locals of Kashmir to understand the impact on tourism following the attacks.
Naidu was in Srinagar to check the situation at the airport. While there, he praised the armed forces for their valour in "Operation Sindoor."
“I have come to Srinagar in my capacity as the Civil Aviation Minister to review the situation at the airport here. Secondly, I want to thank and salute our armed forces for the success in 'Operation Sindoor,' launched in response to the terror incident that happened in Pahalgam. The terror camps were attacked with precision. The armed forces paid attention not to affect civilians [in Pakistan],” he said.
The minister said he wanted to thank the airport staff and officials in person for being brave during the recent troubles.
“During the period of tension in the last three weeks, the civil aviation ministry had closed airports for reasons of security, including Srinagar airport. I wanted to personally meet our officials and staffers at the airport and encourage them for their bravery,” Naidu added.
Flight operations across 32 airports in North and West India are expected to return to normal as cross-border military action between India and Pakistan came to a halt over the past few days.
Low-cost carrier IndiGo said that flight operations on all routes will resume on Thursday. "Starting 15 May 2025, we are resuming our flight operations across routes that were temporarily suspended in view of recent developments in the northern region of the country. Some of these flights have already operated today, and more are progressively being restored," the airline said in a statement.
Air India had earlier said that it will progressively resume flights to and from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot. By Tuesday, the airline cancelled flights to all destinations but Srinagar.
Flight-tracking portal FlightRadar 24, as of 12:30 PM, showed a handful of flights over Jammu, Amritsar, and parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Some flights were also seen on the route between Delhi and Srinagar.
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir told the media that 11 flights operated on Wednesday, May 14, from Srinagar International Airport, primarily to facilitate the journey of Hajj pilgrims. Of these, four SpiceJet flights, three IndiGo flights, and three Air India flights operated from Delhi to Srinagar and back.
Following the April 22 Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilians were killed, India launched "Operation Sindoor" to strike terror targets in Pakistan. As a result, civilian flight operations were halted at 32 airports on May 9—Srinagar, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jaisalmer, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, Adhampur, Ambala, Awantipur, Bathinda, Bhuj, Bikaner, Halwara, Hindon, Jammu, Kandla, Kangra (Gaggal), Keshod, Kishangarh, Kullu Manali (Bhuntar), Leh, Ludhiana, Mundra, Naliya, Pathankot, Patiala, Porbandar, Rajkot (Hirasar), Sarsawa, Shimla, Thoise and Uttarlai.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned for further updates.
