Srinagar Airport lifts flying-hour restrictions after seven months; evening flights to resume with Winter Schedule on October 25

Srinagar International Airport is set to resume extended flight operations after almost seven months of curtailment caused by runway repairs. An airport official said a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) lifting the time restrictions has been received. Late-evening flights, restricted since April, will become functional again, with the Winter Schedule taking effect from October 25.

Between April and October, flights were permitted only between 8 am and 5 pm, which meant roughly 25 to 30 daily arrivals, down from almost 50 before April. In recent years, daily arrivals and departures have at times touched 70 flight movements. Flight numbers had also fallen sharply after the decline in tourist arrivals that followed last year's Pahalgam attack.

An airport spokesperson said the 8 am to 5 pm limit has been withdrawn, so operations beyond 5 pm can be planned according to the applicable schedule, subject to operational requirements. Airlines are filing slots for late-evening flights to and from Srinagar under Winter Schedule 2026, and passengers were advised to check flight status and timings with their airlines before travelling. Smooth evening operations through the winter months will depend on runway visibility.

Earlier this year, a proposal to shut the airport for two weeks in October was scrapped, and a larger expansion plan, including a terminal expansion and improved passenger amenities, is in the pipeline. Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Javed Tenga welcomed the move, saying the resumption of normal flying hours was long awaited and would give tourists more flight options and let local travellers plan journeys with better connectivity between Srinagar and other destinations.