Srinagar/New Delhi: Nine airports, including the ones in Srinagar and Jammu, were closed Wednesday for civilian air traffic amid escalating tension with Pakistan, officials said.
Airports at Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Pathankot, Amritsar, Shimla, Kangra, Kullu Manali, Pithoragarh were among those closed, they said.
In a similar development, Pakistan closed its airspace for commercial flights and suspended flight operations across major airports, including Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, for an indefinite period in the wake of the escalating tensions with India.
In Srinagar, an official of the Airports Authority (AAI) of India told this agency, “The civilian air traffic has been suspended temporarily in view of the emergency.”
While the official did not specify the nature of the emergency, it is believed the step was taken in view of an IAF jet crashing in Budgam district this morning.
Officials said they received instructions from air traffic controllers that the airports have been shut for civilian flights.
Some of the flights en route to Jammu, Leh and Srinagar airports have been diverted to their origin stations, they added.
Airports at Chandigarh, Pathankot, Halwara and Bathinda have been put on high alert. Commercial operations from Chandigarh International Airport were halted for some time, but were resumed after a few hours.
Vistara Airlines said in a tweet, “Due to airspace restrictions flights to and from Amritsar, Srinagar and Jammu are currently on hold. Chandigarh is now open again for flights.”
Jet Airways said that in ‘line with the instructions received from Delhi ATC regarding airport closure Jet Airways flight operations to and from Amritsar, Jammu, Srinagar and Leh have been suspended until further notice’.
Punjab’s six border districts of Fazilka, Ferozepur, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Amritsar are on high alert since Tuesday.
Meanwhile Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) made the announcement after the director general of Inter-Services Public Relations, the military’s media arm, acknowledged the closure of Pakistan’s airspace due to the prevailing security situation.
The airports will be used for ‘military purposes’ till it is reopened for commercial activities, an official told ‘DawnNewsTV’, adding that a red alert has also been issued. “All civilian flight operations have been suspended,” the official said.
CAA spokesman Mujtaba Baig said the flight operations in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces have been suspended for an indefinite period. He said the flight operations from and to Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Multan and Rawalpindi/Islamabad airports have been suspended.
Earlier, ‘DawnNewsTV’ quoting sources at the Karachi airport said that Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) New Delhi-bound flight PK-270 had been cancelled due to tensions at the Line of Control (LoC).
PTI