Flight operations have resumed at Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla, Bhuntar and Gaggal airports following a temporary shutdown due to heightened military tensions between India and Pakistan. The suspension, which affected 32 airports across northern and western India, was lifted after a ceasefire was announced, allowing civilian flights to return starting Monday.
Bhuntar (Kullu-Manali) and Gaggal (Kangra) airports reopened for civil aviation on Monday, while Shimla’s Jubbarhatti airport will receive its first flight at 7:25 am on Tuesday. Although no flights operated on the Delhi-Bhuntar route on Monday, air services are expected to normalize from Tuesday onward.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had issued a series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), suspending civilian operations at multiple airports, including those in Himachal Pradesh, from May 9 to 14, 2025. This decision followed Operation Sindoor, during which several precautionary security measures were implemented across sensitive regions.
The closure had disrupted travel plans for tourists and residents alike, impacting tourism-heavy regions such as Shimla and the Kullu valley at the onset of the summer season. Local businesses and tourism operators are hopeful that the reopening of air routes will now help revive the flow of visitors.
Flights resuming at these key airports are expected to provide a much-needed boost to the state’s tourism sector, which had been bracing for losses during what is typically a peak travel period.
