IAF takes control of Chandigarh airport, all civilian flights cancelled for now

All 52 flights operating from Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali, have been cancelled until further notice, with the Indian Air Force taking complete control over the airport on Wednesday morning. The move came after India launched missile strikes on terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir as part of “Operation Sindoor” in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.

Chandigarh International Airport Ltd (CHIAL) chief executive officer (CEO) Ajay Kumar confirmed that the Air Force has assumed full control over the airport and all domestic and international flights remain suspended until further orders. To be sure, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) manages the civil terminal in coordination with the Punjab and Haryana governments while the runway operations and air traffic control are overseen by the Chandigarh Air Force Station, which also determines operational hours for commercial flights.

In an alert issued on ‘X’, the airport authorities said: “Due to changing airspace conditions in the region, all flights to and from Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport are suspended until further notice. For assistance with rescheduling or refunds, please contact your respective airlines.”

The Chandigarh airport caters to several major routes, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Leh, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chennai, Patna, Pune, and Srinagar, besides two international flights —to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and sees a daily footfall of approximately 10,000 passengers.

Passengers left stranded, cab drivers raise charges

On Wednesday morning, several passengers, who had arrived for early morning flights, were stopped at the entrance itself and turned back. Many were seen making frantic calls, sitting on pavements, or scrolling through their phones to find alternative arrangements.

A couple from Hyderabad, traveling with two children, was among the many distressed travellers. The family was returning from a vacation in Manali and was to board a flight to Hyderabad in the morning. “When we arrived here, we were told the airport is not operational. We don’t know anyone here, we just came back from our trip and now we’re stuck,” said Kavita.

The family said they were exploring train options, as local cab drivers were asking for as high as ₹17,000 for a ride to Delhi. “We’re completely helpless,” said her husband. “This is not what we expected at the end of our holiday.”

Yashpal Singh, a resident of Hoshiarpur, who was to fly Dubai, said, “We travelled nearly six hours from Hoshiarpur to Mohali, but as soon as we reached here, we got the news,” he said. “The closure was needed for our safety, but it has cost us too. We will return to Hoshiarpur now.”

Travel agents said they are trying their best to support affected passengers. “We are rescheduling flights wherever possible and issuing full refunds to those whose travel plans were disrupted,” an agent said.

Evergreen Travels owner Abhishek said, “For the time being, we have put our bookings on hold, and we’re promoting travel via road and to local destinations.

“We’re also cooperating with local hotels. Many of them are offering free stays to stranded passengers, though some are still demanding extra charges, he added.

With inputs from Aarya Kumari & Jasmeh Kaur