NEW DELHI: Following India’s successful execution of ‘Operation Sindoor’, airlines grounded nearly three per cent of scheduled flights nationwide on Thursday. The airspace above Pakistan and India’s western region—stretching from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat—was notably empty, as shown by flight-tracking platform Flightradar24.

The temporary suspension of operations includes key airports such as Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Jodhpur among others. This follows Wednesday’s cancellation of over 300 flights and suspension of operations at 21 airports.

Air India, in a statement on X, acknowledged delays in reaching contact centres due to high call volumes. The airline is offering full refunds and a one-time waiver on rescheduling for affected passengers with bookings until May 10. Defence personnel holding discounted fares are also eligible for full refunds and changes without penalty until June 30.

IndiGo similarly extended support, noting that flights to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, and Dharamsala are affected. Passengers with bookings made before April 22 for travel until May 22 are eligible for fee waivers on changes and cancellations.

SpiceJet confirmed the suspension of flights to northern sectors including Srinagar and Amritsar, while Akasa Air issued a travel advisory though specific routes were not listed.