CHENNAI: Passengers expressed relief and happiness as flight services from Chennai to various Indian border airports resumed on Thursday, after an eight-day suspension due to war tensions along the India-Pakistan border.
Flight operations had been halted in the early hours of May 7 following the escalation of tensions in the border areas, leading to the closure of 32 airports near the India-Pakistan boundary.
Among the affected services were four daily direct flights from Chennai to the border airports of Chandigarh and Hindon (UP), as well as connecting flights via Delhi to Jammu and Srinagar operated by Air India, Air India Express, and IndiGo.
Although the Ministry of Civil Aviation had announced the reopening of all 32 affected border airports from Monday afternoon, flights from Chennai had yet to resume until today.
Normalcy began returning this morning when an Air India Express flight to Hindon took off from Chennai at 5.50 am.
Later, an IndiGo flight from Chandigarh landed in Chennai at 10.25 am and departed back at 11.10 am.
Additionally, connecting flights from Chennai to Jammu and Srinagar via Delhi—primarily operated by Air India and Air India Express—have also resumed operations after being grounded for over a week.
The resumption of services has brought immense relief to travellers, especially tourists, many of whom had their plans disrupted due to the cancellations.
Airport authorities confirmed that all Chennai-bound and outbound flights to border destinations are now operating as scheduled.