Over 200 flights were cancelled and at least 18 airports — including Srinagar, Leh, Amritsar, and Chandigarh — were shut temporarily on Wednesday, following missile strikes launched by Indian armed forces in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK).

The Indian armed forces targeted nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including Jaish-e-Mohammad’s stronghold in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s base in Muridke. The offensive followed the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.

The fallout on air traffic was immediate and widespread. Flight operations were suspended across key northern and western airports, including Jammu, Pathankot, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Shimla, Dharamshala, and Jamnagar, amid heightened security restrictions.

Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India Express, Akasa Air and several foreign carriers called off services to and from affected regions.

IndiGo alone cancelled around 165 flights, while a source said that 35 flights to and from Delhi — India's busiest airport — were cancelled between midnight and morning, including 23 domestic departures, eight arrivals, and four international flights. American Airlines and other global carriers also pulled back services.

Air India, in a statement, said it had suspended flights to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot until 5.29 am on May 10, following directives from aviation authorities. Affected passengers are being offered a one-time rescheduling waiver or full refunds.

IndiGo took similar measures, cancelling all operations for the day at key northern airports, including Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner, and Jodhpur. "We are anticipating changes across our network," the airline said on X, urging passengers to check real-time updates before travelling.

SpiceJet confirmed the closure of multiple northern airports — including Dharamshala, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, and Amritsar — "until further notice," and promised refunds or alternate options. Akasa Air called off all its Srinagar flights, while regional operator Star Air cancelled services to and from Nanded, Hindon, Adampur, Kishangarh, and Bhuj.

Air India Express, too, reported several cancellations, particularly to Amritsar, Jammu, Srinagar, and Hindon. "Multiple flights on our network are impacted," it said, without specifying a resumption timeline.

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which manages Indira Gandhi International Airport, warned of flight impacts due to "changing airspace conditions". The shockwaves extended beyond Indian airspace. Qatar Airways announced the temporary suspension of flights to Pakistan, citing the closure of Pakistani airspace in response to the Indian strike.

Bengaluru Airport also issued a passenger advisory stating that due to prevailing airspace restrictions, some flights were cancelled on May 7. It requested passengers to verify their flight status with their respective airlines before heading to Kempegowda International Airport.