NEW DELHI: Scores of air passengers were stranded and confusion prevailed at various airports due to the suspension of commercial operation on Wednesday.
Airports at Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Pathankot, Amritsar, Shimla, Kangra, Kullu Manali, Pithoragarh were among those closed after Pakistani violated Indian air space in the Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. However, a few hours later operations resumed at these airports. A high alert has been sounded at several airports, including the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). Officials said that about 15 flights were affected at Amritsar airport, 10 at Chandigarh and 45 flights at the Delhi airport.
Pakistan also suspended flight operations across major airports, including Islamabad and Lahore, for an indefinite period. Many airlines had to reroute their international flights due to the closure of Pakistan airspace.
“Reviewed the current airspace restrictions with Member (ANS), AAI in view of the current cross border situation. I assure you that we are working out modalities so that the air passengers are least inconvenienced...” Union Civil Aviation minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted. A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), however, said airports in Jammu, Srinagar and Leh in Jammu and Kashmir and Shimla, Kangra, and Kullu in Himachal Pradesh were closed for commercial operations and most of the flights to and from these airports are cancelled. A NOTAM is issued for a stipulated period for closure of airspace and can be revised anytime.