Flights cancelled at Bhubaneswar Airport amid high alert following Operation Sindoor

Bhubaneswar, May 8: Two scheduled flights from Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar were cancelled on Thursday, following heightened security measures across India in the wake of Operation Sindoor, a strategic operation carried out by the Indian Armed Forces.

According to BPIA Director Prasanna Pradhan, one of the flights was cancelled due to temporary airspace restrictions imposed in parts of northern and western India as part of national security protocols. This flight was scheduled to land at Hindon Airport in Ghaziabad, which is currently closed to civilian traffic. The second cancelled flight, operating on the Patna-Chandigarh route via Bhubaneswar, was grounded for the second consecutive day due to technical issues.

Though Bhubaneswar does not fall within conflict-sensitive zones, the impact of national-level airspace limitations has affected operations indirectly. Other flights from BPIA are running as scheduled, and officials have advised the public not to panic.

Meanwhile, Odisha Police have intensified security across the state, especially at key infrastructure points such as the Shree Jagannath Temple, defence zones, ports, industrial hubs, airports, and government buildings. Coastal surveillance has also been stepped up along Odisha’s 480-km coastline.