SRINAGAR: Flight operations at Srinagar International Airport resumed on Tuesday after a six-day suspension, with the arrival of an Air India flight from New Delhi marking the formal restart of air traffic to and from the Valley.
A senior official said that Air India’s service from Delhi was the first to land in the morning. “This marks the official resumption of flight operations, which had remained suspended due to the prevailing security situation,” the official said.
He added that the airport recorded a total of four arrivals and four departures, facilitating the travel of 935 passengers on the first day of resumed operations.
Earlier, flight operations at 32 airports, including Srinagar, had been temporarily suspended following the launch of Operation Sindoor—a military response by India targeting terror camps in Pakistan after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
Airlines, including IndiGo and SpiceJet, have announced that flights on affected routes, including Srinagar, will be progressively restored starting May 14 (tomorrow).
“Scheduled operations to and from Jammu, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Leh, Srinagar, and Rajkot will resume gradually from tomorrow,” a statement from IndiGo said, advising passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
SpiceJet also resumed its scheduled flights to Srinagar today. The airline’s first service, SG 9835, departed from Delhi at 2:30 PM, with the return flight from Srinagar scheduled for 4:30 PM.
SpiceJet further announced that Haj 2025 operations from Srinagar would begin on May 14, with two wide-body Airbus A340 aircraft transporting pilgrims to Medina. “Each aircraft will carry 324 pilgrims, and the airline is facilitating the travel of approximately 15,500 Haj pilgrims this year,” a spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the resumption of flights brought relief to stranded passengers and their families in the Valley.
“I had to attend a medical appointment in Delhi, but my flight was cancelled last week. I’m happy things are returning to normal,” said Saqib Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar, who was seen at the airport with his boarding pass.
Another local traveller, stranded in Amritsar, said: “We were very worried, but now I’m going back home tomorrow. I’m happy that flights are finally resuming.”
Airport authorities have advised all travellers to stay updated through airline websites or official social media channels due to the evolving flight schedules.
Officials also stated that coordination is being maintained with airlines and security agencies to ensure that resumed operations continue smoothly and without interruption in the coming days. (KNO)
