Restrictions on Civil Aviation: Flight Ban in Western and Northern Regions of India Due to Operation Sindoor
The west of India's boundary with Pakistan currently steers clear of commercial aviation, according to reports floating around.
This latest NOTAM notice could potentially disrupt international flights as well. Taiwan's China Airlines and Korean Air are already altering or cancellling their flights to and from Europe, Reuters reported today.
A NOTAM, or Notice to Airmen, contains critical information essential for flight operations, but isn't disseminated publicly far enough in advance to be announced by other means.
In a recent X post, OSINT researcher Damien Symon stated, "Indian notifications indicate multiple air traffic routes unavailable across the western sector along its border with Pakistan."
SpiceJet passengers should take note as all flights to and from Leh, Srinagar, Jammu, Kangra, Kandla & Amritsar have been scrapped for 7th May'25. Visit our website or mobile app to check your flight status prior to heading to the airport. #flyspicejet... Image
As of May 7, 2025, at least 18 airports in India's north and west have been temporarily suspended. Affected airports include Srinagar, Leh, Jammu, Amritsar, Pathankot, Chandigarh, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Shimla, Dharamshala, and Jamnagar.
Snippets from flight tracking websites after the incident depict a long line of airlines sailing over Oman, the UAE, and Kuwait, suggesting potential airspace congestion.
Over the last few days, India and Pakistan have barred each other's airlines and global airlines like Lufthansa have been averting Pakistan airspace.
A peek at Flightradar24 shows the northwestern region of India and Pakistan's airspace stripped of civilian aircraft, save for a few exceptions.
More details have emerged, with notifications hinting at multiple air traffic routes being unavailable across the western sector along the border with Pakistan. Image
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines voiced concerns over the impact of conflicts on airline operations. They stated, "On top of cost and operational disruptions, there are safety concerns when GPS spoofing interferes with flight operations over conflict zones, posing one of the highest risks the industry faces."
GPS spoofing is a malicious tactic that fiddles with Global Positioning System (GPS) data, which can steer commercial airplanes off course.
India recently launched several cruise missile attacks on nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) where terrorists resided and prepared. The attack came in response to the bombing in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam last month that took the lives of 26 tourists. The terrorists possessed cross-border connections.
- The current situation along India's western border with Pakistan has led to disruptions in lifestyle, as SpiceJet passengers should take note that flights to and from several north and west airports have been canceled, including Srinagar, Leh, Jammu, Kangra, Kandla, and Amritsar.
- The airspace dilemma in India's western sector is causing ripples in the travel industry, with global airlines like Lufthansa avoiding Pakistan airspace and Taiwan's China Airlines and Korean Air altering or canceling their flights to and from Europe.
- Beyond the travel industry, the ongoing conflicts between India and Pakistan pose a significant risk to the general news domain, as the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines has expressed concerns over the impact of wars and conflicts on airline operations, citing safety concerns due to GPS spoofing interfering with flight operations over conflict zones.
