Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, airlines have been instructed to avoid key flight routes between Delhi and Mumbai, India’s busiest domestic air corridor. The directive follows a fresh wave of drone attacks launched by Pakistan targeting multiple locations from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat.

Safety and operational adjustments

The DGCA has advised airlines and flight operators to plan alternate routes to minimise disruption and ensure passenger safety. The closure is being coordinated with relevant Air Traffic Control (ATC) units.

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Key routes, airports shut down

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has temporarily closed 25 segments of Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes within the Delhi and Mumbai Flight Information Regions (FIRs) for “operational reasons.” The closure is effective until 2359 UTC on May 14, 2025 (0529 IST on May 15, 2025).

Also, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced the closure of 32 airports across northern and western India for all civil flight operations during the same period. Airports impacted include Adhampur, Ambala, Amritsar, Awantipur, Bathinda, Bhuj, Bikaner, Chandigarh, Halwara, Hindon, and Jammu.

Other airports on the list are Jaisalmer, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, Kandla, Kangra (Gaggal), Keshod, Kishangarh, Kullu Manali (Bhuntar), Leh, Ludhiana, Mundra, Naliya, Pathankot, Patiala, Porbandar, Rajkot (Hirasar), Sarsawa, Shimla, Srinagar, Thoise, and Uttarlai.

Background of rising hostilities

The latest escalation follows India’s closure of its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30 as part of retaliatory measures after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian carriers on April 24.

Tensions intensified after India launched Operation Sindoor, striking nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) early Wednesday in retaliation for the Pahalgam massacre. An armed conflict continues to unfold between the two nations.