Kashmir-bound travelers and tourism stakeholders are facing significant logistical hurdles as Srinagar International Airport prepares for a major infrastructure overhaul. In an advisory, airport authorities confirmed that flight operations will be systematically restricted to allow the Indian Air Force (IAF)—which controls and maintains the defense airfield—to execute essential runway repair, resurfacing, and expansion works.
This marks the first major resurfacing project on the runway in 15 years, with the last comprehensive maintenance drive completed back in 2011. To minimize chaos, authorities have altered an earlier proposal that would have grounded flights on weekends, opting instead for a weekday schedule.
The Shutdown Timeline: Two Critical Phases
The maintenance drive will roll out in a two-tier phased approach, starting with mid-week suspensions and culminating in a complete, multi-week freeze on air traffic.
Current Restrictions and Impact on Operations
The upcoming July closures will compound a series of strict operational constraints already active at the hub:
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The 8-to-5 Window: A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by the IAF already restricts all commercial flights to a strict daytime slot between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. This has effectively killed all early morning and late evening flights.
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Capacity Drop: While the airport handles nearly 100 flights daily during peak tourist rushes, the compressed operational hours have slashed current daily traffic down to fewer than 40 flights.
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Payload and Luggage Curbs: Due to active runway length constraints during the preliminary repair phases, aircraft face strict payload limits. Notably, returning Hajj pilgrims are being rerouted through Ahmedabad, with their heavy check-in luggage being transported separately to Srinagar by road to keep aircraft weights within safe parameters.
The Economic Fallout
The timing of the maintenance has caused immense anxiety among local tour operators. The partial closures will hit during the height of the summer and autumn tourist seasons, while the absolute shutdown in October directly overlaps with the peak Durga Puja holiday travel window—traditionally one of Kashmir’s most lucrative domestic tourism influxes. Trade bodies have expressed deep concern over potential mass cancellations and soaring airfares on the remaining operational days.
Official Passenger Advisory: Airport Director Javed Anjum has strongly urged travelers to remain in constant contact with their respective airlines and monitor official airport channels for authenticated, real-time schedule changes before heading to the terminal.
