Thirty-two airports shut down in India’s north and northwest because of the flare-up along the Pakistan border have reopened, but most airlines had yet to resume normal operations to these destinations till late Tuesday.

Domestic sector airfares continued to be relatively low as many remained wary of travel unless essential.

Flights to Srinagar, Amritsar, Chandigarh and Hindon from the city remained cancelled on Tuesday, said an airport official.

As a safety measure, Air India and IndiGo decided to cancel flight services to Jammu and Amritsar, among others, after suspected drone activities in the border areas on Monday night.

According to sources, an IndiGo flight en route to Amritsar returned to Delhi on Monday night after a precautionary blackout was enforced in the city because of the suspected drone activities nearby. Landing in Amritsar was not possible because of the blackout, the sources said.

After a few hours, IndiGo decided to cancel all its flights to Jammu, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Leh, Srinagar and Rajkot on May 13, creating confusion about whether these airports were open or closed for civil operations.

Sources in the civil aviation ministry denied that airports like Jammu were closed and said they were operating normally.

The Amritsar Airport Authority said on X (formerly Twitter) that an IndiGo flight was asked to return to Delhi when it reached Mansa, in the Punjab airspace.

Flight tracking website Flightradar24.com showed that the IndiGo flight had taken off from the Delhi airport at 8pm but returned to the capital after being airborne for some time.

An Air India Express flight landed at the Jammu airport from Delhi on Tuesday, while one flight left for Srinagar.

IndiGo and Air India wrote on X that the decision to cancel flight services to the affected areas was taken as a safety measure.

“In light of the latest developments, and with your safety as our utmost priority, flights to and from Jammu, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Leh, Srinagar and Rajkot are cancelled for 13th May 2025. We understand how this may disrupt your travel plans, and regret the inconvenience caused,” an IndiGo advisory said.

“Our teams are actively monitoring the situation and will promptly keep you informed of further updates. Before heading to the airport, please check your flight status on our website or app.”

Air India posted: “In view of the latest developments and keeping your safety in mind, flights to and from Jammu, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot are cancelled for Tuesday, 13th May. We are monitoring the situation and will keep you updated.”

The Chandigarh airport announced that it was eager to welcome passengers and assured assistance.

Air India Express resumed its flight operations on routes, including Hindon, Jammu and Srinagar. The airline said that the resumption of other flights, including international services from Amritsar, was expected from May 15.

SpiceJet announced flight operations to Srinagar from Tuesday, and a restart of Haj flights from Srinagar from May 14.

But tour operators said passengers were apprehensive.

“There is widespread panic and apprehension among passengers about air travel. Many passengers are making queries about travelling but want to wait and watch,” said Anil Punjabi, national committee member, Travel Agents Federation of India, representing the eastern region.

Park Street resident Sanwar Agarwal was to go to Vienna on May 28 for a medical conference. “I have cancelled the trip because of the uncertain situation. I feel scared,” said the businessman dealing in medical equipment. “There can be disruptions and other security problems.”

Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu posted on X at 8.13pm on Tuesday that he chaired a review meeting with all airlines and senior officials.

“In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, I appreciate the extraordinary efforts of the security forces in safeguarding our nation. Also, kudos to the seamless coordination between the Ministry, DGCA, AAI and airlines during this emergency,” he posted.

“I suggested that airlines resume their normal schedules from the 15th across all 32 airports for which the NOTAM was issued. All airlines responded positively to this suggestion.”