India suspends flight operations, closes 24 airports

Flight operations at two dozen airports across the northern and western regions of India have been suspended amid heightened tensions with Pakistan, the Washington Post reports.

In a statement late last night, India’s Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed the temporary closure of 24 airports. “In advisories to passengers, India’s key domestic airlines said their flights would remain suspended until Saturday from airports including Amritsar in northern Punjab and Srinagar in India-controlled Kashmir, bordering Pakistan,” the report said.

Indigo, India’s biggest domestic carrier, on Wednesday cancelled 165 flights, while Air India and Air India Express had a similar number of cancellations. Air India diverted two of its international flights enroute from Amritsar, close to Lahore, to New Delhi, because of the sudden closure of the airport.