Srinagar: Amid border tension between India and Pakistan, flight operations across eight airports in India were shut briefly on Wednesday morning according to the Airports Authority of India. Flight operations in all the airports later resumed. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) had early on Wednesday issued NOTAM, ‘A Notice to Airmen’ that there will be no commercial flights movement in border airports of Amritsar, Pathankot, Srinagar, Jammu, Shimla, Dharamshala, Kullu and Leh.
The NOTAM was later withdrawn and flights operations were resumed in all the eight airports. Due to airspace restrictions, flights to and from Amritsar, Srinagar, Chandigarh and Jammu are currently on hold, said Vistara airlines on their twitter account. Jet Airways have suspended until further notice flight operations to Amritsar, Srinagar, Jammu and Leh and in a tweet said: “Due to air space closure, we’ll waive off penalties for date/ flight change, refund & no-show on confirmed tickets for travel to/ from Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dehradun and Srinagar on 27th February 2019.” IndiGo also announced that flights to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Chandigarh, Amritsar and Dehradun have been temporarily suspended.
The international flights that transit between India and Pakistan airspace have been affected due to the cross border tensions between the two countries.
“International flights that transit between Indian and Pakistani airspace now being affected. Some flights returning to origin, while others appear to be seeking alternate routing,” sources said. Pakistan has immediately stopped its domestic and international flight operations from Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Islamabad airports.
On Tuesday, India carried out air strikes on a terror camp run by Jaish-E-Mohammad in Balakot, a hill town in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Soon after that the Pakistani side started building up for a confrontation and resorted to ceasefire violation in 15 places including Poonch and Rajouri. There were reports that the Pakistani Air Force jets violated Indian airspace in Rajouri sector, and dropped bombs near Indian Army establishments. No reports of casualties have been reported so far.
Meanwhile, five buses have been deputed for stranded passengers at Srinagar airport, five buses have been deputed, said Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar Shahid Chaudhary For stranded passengers at Srinagar airport: 5 Buses have been deputed. Should you need any help please call us at 0194-2472580 / 2452182,he tweeted. District authorities of Jammu and Kashmir have also ordered the closure of schools as a precautionary measure.
Due to prevailing situation on Line of Control, all schools located in 0-5 KM range from LoC in Rajouri district shall remain closed on Wednesday and exams of 5th, 6th and 7th Classes scheduled for tomorrow also stand cancelled in all the schools of the district according to order of the District Magistrate of Rajouri who said fresh dates will be notified.
