Operation Sindoor: Air India expresses gratitude for defence personnel; offers full refunds and rescheduling benefits

As Indian airspace continues to be disrupted by ongoing military operations, Air India has announced crucial measures to assist defence personnel.The airline said that it will provide full refunds on cancellations and a one-time waiver on rescheduling for those holding defence fare tickets on Air India and Air India Express flights. This initiative applies to tickets with travel dates up to May 31, 2025.In a statement shared on social media, the Air India Group expressed gratitude to the military and defence personnel, saying, "Air India group is grateful for the selfless service and dedication of our military and defence personnel. In the prevailing situation, for those personnel holding defence fares who are booked on Air India and Air India Express flights till 31 May 2025, we are offering full refunds on cancellation and a one-time waiver on rescheduling flights up to 30 June 2025 to support their duty commitments."As per sources cited by PTI, almost 140 flights of the group, Air India and Air India Express have been cancelled since Wednesday.Air India also confirmed the cancellation of flights to and from several airports across the country. These cancellations follow directives from aviation authorities, who have temporarily closed airports in Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot. The cancellations are valid until 5:29 am IST on May 10, 2025.IndiGo, in a similar move, announced that it had suspended flight operations in 11 cities across north, northwestern, and central India. Affected cities include Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Gwalior, Kishangarh, and Rajkot. The cancellations are also valid until 5:29 am IST on May 10.These announcements follow India’s Operation Sindoor, a military strike at 9 terror bases aimed to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack. The operation has led to major disruptions across the air travel network, with over 400 flights affected and 27 airports shut down.This wave of cancellations and disruptions has already impacted the travel plans of hundreds of passengers, with other airlines like Akasa and SpiceJet also reporting flight cancellations.