Chaos and confusion ruled the day at the Chandigarh International Airport after various airlines cancelled nine flights as a precautionary measure amid the border tension between India and Pakistan. While nine flights were cancelled amid security concerns, one 8:30am flight did not take off due to bad weather at Kullu. Airport chief executive officer (CEO) Suneel Dutt said cancellation of flights was the airlines’ own decision since the airport was not officially shut down. “Operations will remain normal on Thursday,” he said. Earlier in the day, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) had issued NOTAM (notice to airmen) that there will be no commercial flights’ movement in border airports of Amritsar, Pathankot, Srinagar, Jammu, Shimla, Dharamshala, Kullu and Leh. Though there was no flight from Chandigarh to these airports, the notice did not include closure of the Chandigarh airport. Yet, sources said, rumours of shutdown of even Chandigarh airport and security concerns in the region prompted airlines to cancel some flights after noon, leaving hundreds of passengers harried. As the day began, IndiGo and GoAir’s two Chandigarh-Srinagar flights returned to Chandigarh as Srinagar airspace was closed. Later in the afternoon, IndiGo announced cancellation of all its four flights scheduled after 2pm, including those to Dubai, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. This was followed by cancellation of three flights by Jet Airways on the Mumbai, Lucknow and Delhi routes. PASSENGERS SCRAMBLE FOR RESCHEDULING As airlines announced flight cancellations, a bevy of passengers scrambled to reschedule their flights or seek refunds, even as several, including actor Jimmy Shergill, were stranded. Danish Mushtaq, a business from Srinagar, said though he rescheduled his flight for Thursday, the IndiGo staff was not sure whether the flight will operate. Gurdeep Singh from Nawanshahr, who was waiting to catch a Mumbai flight in the afternoon, said he had missed his appointment at the US embassy on Thursday morning due to the cancellation. “It will be arduous to rework the appointment,” he added. Several passengers got their flights rescheduled from Delhi for odd hours and the left airport in a rush, while others complained about delay in intimation of cancellations. Siddarth Kumar, who had to fly to Mumbai, said he got a cancellation message when he reached the airport, leaving him no scope to chose other options. FLIGHTS ON SCHEDULE TODAY Airport spokesperson Deepesh Joshi said all flights will leave as per schedule on Thursday. Two Jet Airways flights have been suspended till March 30, one between Chandigarh and Pune at 2.40pm, and another between Chandigarh and Delhi at 5.30pm. But this was purely due to operational reasons, he said, adding that there was no intimation of cancellations by other airlines operating here.<doc-sep>Commercial flight services were affected at the Amritsar and Chandigarh airports on Wednesday but authorities said that normal flight operations had been resumed and will continue normally on Thursday. Commercial flight operations were suspended on Wednesday from the Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan. Commercial flights resumed services at all the Indian airports where they were suspended earlier in the day on Wednesday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. Over 15 flights to and from Amritsar airport were cancelled, delayed or diverted. Passengers who were in the Amritsar airport terminal to catch flights for various destinations were asked to leave the building. Personnel from the Army, Indian Air Force (IAF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) took control of the airport complex. "We were inside the airport to catch an international flight. We were asked to leave. We do not know the fate of our flight. No one is telling us anything," said a young woman who was scheduled to leave for Dubai. At the Chandigarh International Airport, which is under the command of the IAF, at least 10 flights were cancelled on Wednesday. The cancelled flights included Indigo Airlines (five flights), Jet Airways (three), Go Air (one) and Air India (one). "Today, Chandigarh airport was open for flight operations for the full day and it will open at its normal time tomorrow onwards also," Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHAIL) spokesperson Deepesh Joshi said. The airports at Halwara near Ludhiana and Adampur near Jalandhar, which are both with the IAF, were also put on high alert. --IANS js/arm/ab (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)<doc-sep>New Delhi: The orders to shut down nine airports after Pakistan violated India’s airspace have been withdrawn, with reports suggesting that operations have resumed from some of the airports such as Jammu. A spokesperson of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said, "As of now, ops to these airports resumed (sic)." India had shut down nine airports — Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Pathankot, Amritsar, Shimla, Kangra, Kullu Manali, Pithoragarh — for civilian air traffic amid escalating tensions with Pakistan, officials said. Responding to the situation, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said his ministry was "strictly" following the "guidelines and instructions" of the Indian Air Force. "We are strictly following all guidelines of the Air Force, and we will continue to do that," Sinha said on the sidelines of an event here. Asked how many flights have been impacted, Sinha said, "I don't have the number. But, as I said, we are following the instructions of the air force." In Srinagar, an official of the Airports Authority of India had said, "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 was believed the step was taken in view of an IAF jet crashing in Budgam district. 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 were diverted to their origin stations, they added. Airports at Chandigarh, Pathankot, Halwara and Bathinda were also put on high alert. Commercial operations from Chandigarh international airport are on. Earlier, operations at Chandigarh were halted for some time. Vistara Airlines had 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 had also 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. Deputy Commissioners and SSPs of border areas have been asked to put in place all contingency plans to ensure protection and safety of citizens, officials said.<doc-sep>
Read also: Pak stops its domestic and international flight operations from Lahore and other places SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI: Nine airports — Srinagar, Jammu, Leh , Pathankot, Amritsar, Shimla, Kangra, Kullu Manali, Pithoragarh — were closed on Wednesday for civilian air traffic amid escalating tension with Pakistan, officials said.The move to close the airports comes amid escalation of tension between India and Pakistan after the IAF carried out strikes on terror bases in Pakistan.In Srinagar, an official of the Airports Authority of India told PTI, "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 are Bathinda have been put on high alert.Guru Ram Dass International Airport Director Manoj Chansoria said the arrival and departure of all civil flights from Amritsar International Airport has been suspended.Commercial operations from Chandigarh international airport are on. Earlier operations at Chandigarh were halted for sometime. "Commercial operations are on," Chandigarh Airport director Suneel Dutt said.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.Deputy Commissioners and SSPs of border areas have been asked to put in place all contingency plans to ensure protection and safety of citizens, officials said.