“Passengers are informed that there will be no complete airfield closure at Srinagar Airport this year. The previously mentioned NOTAM concerning full runway closure on Mondays and Tuesdays is being cancelled. Airlines will continue to adjust their schedules according to the current operational timings,” the Srinagar airport announced on X.
“Airport operations will remain uninterrupted every day with operational/watch hours from 0800 hrs to 1700 hrs. Night closures for runway maintenance will persist until October 2026,” the announcement further stated.
Operations Update from Srinagar Airport ✈️
Passengers are informed that there will be no full airfield closure at Srinagar Airport this year.
Airport operations will remain uninterrupted every day with operational/watch hours from 0800 hrs to 1700 hrs. Night closures for runway… pic.twitter.com/eIMvuLVHgN
— Srinagar Airport (@SrinagarAirport) July 4, 2026
This decision followed the proactive involvement of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who underscored the serious repercussions the closure would have caused on the region’s economy.
The idea of shutting down the runway on Mondays and Tuesdays raised significant alarm among local tourism stakeholders. As per CM Abdullah, the announcement had already set off a surge of holiday cancellations.
“The Monday-Tuesday closure was becoming a significant burden. I spoke with several tourism sector representatives just yesterday, and many had already begun canceling their groups. Since this news emerged, I have been actively addressing this concern.”
While the immediate challenge has been resolved, the Chief Minister pointed out that infrastructure improvements would eventually necessitate operational suspensions later in the year. He mentioned that the government’s aim will now focus on mitigating future disruptions by providing alternative travel arrangements.
“The result is that, for now, the Monday-Tuesday closure plan has been avoided, which is a relief. However, our next goal will be to ensure that when the airport closes in October, we secure at least some alternative flights at Awantipora,” Abdullah stated.
#WATCH | Srinagar: After Srinagar International Airport authorities withdrew NOTAM to close the runway, J&K CM Omar Abdullah remarks, “The Monday-Tuesday closure was proving to be a major burden. I spoke to some people from the tourism sector just yesterday, and many of their groups had… pic.twitter.com/8p8wnpOLjR
— ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2026
In June, CM Abdullah discussed the planned runway closure with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu. During these talks, he proposed facilitating civilian flight operations from the Awantipora airfield if Srinagar Airport needed to halt services for maintenance work.
Abdullah highlighted that October is one of Kashmir’s peak tourism months, attracting many visitors from states like West Bengal, Gujarat, and Maharashtra to see the Valley’s renowned chinar trees in their autumnal splendor. Industry representatives warned that prolonged disruption of air connectivity could substantially impact tourist arrivals.
