Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, May 7: Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, the Jammu and Kashmir Hajj Committee has cancelled two scheduled Hajj flights for May 7 and 8, affecting the travel plans of hundreds of pilgrims.
Dr. Shujhat Ahmad Qureshi, Executive Officer of the J&K Hajj Committee, earlier informed that the flight scheduled for today has been cancelled due to the closure of Srinagar Airport.
“Due to the prevailing situation, operations have been temporarily suspended. We anticipated a cancellation, and it has now been confirmed,” Dr. Qureshi said.
Additionally, the cancelled flights were set to carry pilgrims from Srinagar to Madeena. One flight with 320 passengers was scheduled for departure today. As of now, there is no clear indication of when services are going to resume.
“The closure of the airport and growing security concerns have left us uncertain about future schedules,” Dr. Qureshi added.
In addition, airlines such as IndiGo and Akasa Air have issued advisories confirming the suspension of flights to and from Srinagar. IndiGo announced the cancellation of flights to and from various destinations, including Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, and others, until May 10, 2025.
Akasa Air has also cancelled all flights to and from Srinagar until further notice. The airline is offering full refunds or free rescheduling for passengers. “We regret the inconvenience caused and are closely monitoring the situation,” Akasa Air stated in their advisory.
Moreover, an official from Srinagar International Airport told KNO that the total number of cancelled flights for today reached 84, with 42 departures and 42 arrivals, all scheduled for today.
He said authorities have not yet provided further details regarding the airspace closure. “Nothing can be said about flight resumption yet,” he said.
Meanwhile, passengers are urged to check their flight status with respective airlines before heading to the airport.
