NEW DELHI: Days after the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, normalcy is gradually returning to the national capital. With the Airports Authority of India lifting temporary restrictions on 32 airports that were shut due to border tensions, flight operations at Delhi Airport are stabilising, with no official cancellations reported.
“Great news! All 32 airports which were temporarily closed are now fully operational and things are getting back to normal,” Delhi Airport announced. “Thank you for your patience. Please check with your airline for the latest flight information and safe travels!”
The decision to suspend operations at these northern and western airports was part of broader security and logistical measures undertaken following heightened tensions triggered by India’s Operation Sindoor a military action targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Airlines have reopened bookings to the previously closed destinations and stated that flight operations will resume in a phased manner.
“IndiGo has reopened its flight bookings and resumed operations starting today, 12 May 2025, progressively on select routes, beginning with Delhi–Chandigarh, Delhi–Jammu–Delhi and Delhi–Amritsar–Delhi,” the airline announced.
“Starting tomorrow, services will resume on routes including Hindon–Bengaluru, Jammu–Delhi, Jammu–Srinagar, and Srinagar–Delhi. Operations on the Hindon–Mumbai route are planned to resume the day after. The reinstatement of other flights, including international services from Amritsar, is expected to follow from 15 May,” said Air India Express.
The airport closures, which were initially expected to remain in place until 5:29 am on 15 May as per a series of NOTAMs (notices to airmen), have now been lifted with immediate effect. Most of these airports are located at defence airfields and handle limited commercial traffic.
Meanwhile, local markets that had witnessed a sharp drop in footfall during the peak of tensions are beginning to see a return of customers. Traders in key retail hubs such as Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar reported that sales had plunged to just 25 per cent of normal levels during the period of uncertainty.
"People were really tense because of the war-like situation. Market footfall had dropped to just around 25 per cent, as everyone was more focused on saving money with the uncertainty looming. But now, we are seeing people slowly return to the markets. Sales are still not at regular levels possibly also due to the weather but at least the fear seems to have eased," said Kuldeep Kumar, President of the Lajpat Nagar Market Association.
"Our business had almost come to a standstill over the past few days. But after the announcement of the ceasefire, things have started to ease. People seemed more relaxed and even came out shopping on Sunday," added Ashok Kalra, President of the Sarojini Nagar Main Market Association.
Wholesale traders noted that during the period of heightened alert, transporters were avoiding night-time deliveries, causing shipment delays. However, with the situation easing, goods carriers have resumed overnight operations, restoring the supply chain to normal.