Delhi Airport remains operational amid closure of multiple airports

New Delhi [India], May 9 (ANI): Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport remains open and fully operational on Friday despite the closure of multiple airports amid an escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan.
However, flight schedules have suffered, with 138 flights cancelled as of May 9.
According to sources at Delhi airport, the cancellations include 63 domestic arrivals and 66 domestic departures, significantly affecting internal travel plans.
Four incoming and five outgoing flights have also been cancelled on the international front.
"Delhi airport is open and operational. Only some flights were cancelled," it said.
Passengers have been advised to check with their airlines before heading to the airport for real-time updates on flight status.
Earlier in the day, IndiGo announced that all flights to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, and Rajkot have been cancelled until midnight on 10 May 2025.
IndiGo assured passengers that it would provide updates through official channels and be available to assist with changes to travel plans. The update was posted on IndiGo's official X handle.
Similarly, Mumbai International Airport has issued a passenger advisory regarding the country's ongoing situation.
The airport remains operational, but passengers may experience longer wait times due to enhanced security protocols.
The airport recommends that passengers plan their travel to the airport and arrive early to accommodate the extra time required for security checks.
Meanwhile, in a major escalation along India's western front, the Pakistani army carried out multiple airspace violations and drone intrusions on the night of May 7 and 8, targeting Indian military infrastructure.
Addressing a press briefing on Friday, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi revealed that 300 to 400 drones were deployed across 36 locations, with several being shot down by Indian forces using both kinetic and non-kinetic methods. Initial investigations suggest the drones were Turkish-made Asisguard Songar models.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said during the press briefing, "On the night of May 7 and 8, the Pakistani army violated Indian airspace several times over the entire western border to target military infrastructure. Not only this, the Pakistani army also fired heavy-calibre weapons along the Line of Control. Around 300 to 400 drones were used to attempt infiltration at 36 locations."
During the press briefing, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said, "Pakistan did not close its civil airspace despite it launching a failed unprovoked drone and missile attack on May 7 at 08:30 pm. Pakistan is using a civil airliner as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response. This is unsafe for unsuspecting civil airliners, including international flights that fly near IB between India and Pakistan. The screenshot we just showed shows the data of the application FlightRadar24 during a high air defence alert situation in the Punjab sector."
Pakistan's attempted retaliation came in the wake of India's Operation Sindoor, where the Indian armed forces targeted nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday.
The operation was a direct response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Earlier on Thursday, the Indian Army had shot down more than 50 Pakistani drones during a large-scale counter-drone operation along the LoC and International Borders (IB), sources told ANI.
The Indian Armed Forces also successfully neutralised Pakistan military's attempts at a large-scale drone and missile attack on multiple Indian military installations across Northern and Western India during the night of May 7-8, and an Air Defence system at Lahore was neutralised. (ANI)