The closure of airports comes amid escalation of tension between India and Pakistan after IAF carried out strikes on a JeM terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot on Tuesday. (File photo)Flight services at nine airports including Srinagar, Jammu and Leh were closed for civilian air traffic on Wednesday. “The civilian air traffic has been suspended temporarily in view of the emergency,” an official from the Airport Authority of India (AAI) was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. The official, however, did not specify the nature of the emergency.
The closure of airports comes amid escalation of tension between India and Pakistan after IAF carried out strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot on Tuesday.
The entire airspace north of Delhi has also been vacated, PTI quoted official sources as saying.
Flight operations have been suspended at Pathankot, Amritsar, Shimla, Kangra, Kullu Manali and Pithoragarh airports as well. “Due to operational reasons, the airspace at Amritsar has been closed for now. No commercial flights are coming to Amritsar, there is no base here, so flights are not even taking off from here,” ANI quoted AP Acharya, Amritsar Airport Director as saying.
According to PTI, Guru Ram Dass International Airport Director Manoj Chansoria said the arrival and departure of all civil flights from Amritsar International Airport has been suspended.
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Some of the flights en route to Jammu, Leh and Srinagar airports have been diverted to their origin stations. Officials said they received instructions from air traffic controllers that the airports have been shut for civilian flights.
Airports at Chandigarh, Pathankot, Halwara are Bathinda have been put on high alert. Commercial operations from Chandigarh international airport are on. Earlier operations at Chandigarh were halted for sometime. “Commercial operations are on,” PTI quoted Chandigarh Airport director Suneel Dutt as saying.
Vistara Airlines said in a tweet, “Due to airspace restrictions flights to and from Amritsar, Srinagar and Jammu are currently on hold. Chandigarh is now open again for flights”.
#TravelUpdate2: Due to airspace restrictions, flights to and from Amritsar, Srinagar, and Jammu are currently on hold. Chandigarh is now open again for flights. Customers are requested to check flight status before commencing their journey to the airport. (1/2)
— Vistara (@airvistara) February 27, 2019
Jet Airways said that in “line with the instructions received from Delhi ATC regarding airport closure Jet Airways flight operations to and from Amritsar, Jammu, Srinagar and Leh have been suspended until further notice”.
#9WUpdate As per instructions from Delhi ATC regarding airport closure, flight operations to/from Amritsar, Srinagar, Jammu & Leh have been suspended until further notice. We request our guests check their flight status before proceeding to the airport https://t.co/q3TCmCPN0Q
— Jet Airways (@jetairways) February 27, 2019
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Meanwhile, Pakistan has also stopped its domestic and international flight operations from Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Islamabad airports, according to ANI. Other International flights that transit between Indian and Pakistani airspace are also being affected. Some flights are returning to origin, while others appear to be seeking alternate routing.
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On Wednesday, Pakistani fighter jets were pushed back by the Indian Air Force (IAF) after they violated Indian air space in Poonch and Nowshera sectors of Jammu and Kashmir, a senior official told news agency PTI. High-level sources in Jammu and Kashmir confirmed to The Indian Express that three Pakistan F-16s crossed the LoC briefly. This has also resulted in security forces and other establishments being put on a heightened alert across Jammu and Kashmir.
