Srinagar, Sep 29: Air connectivity to Kashmir has taken a severe hit in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, with airlines slashing operations on the Srinagar route amid plummeting demand.
Figures accessed by Greater Kashmir reveal that flight movements and passenger arrivals at Srinagar International Airport, Kashmir’s lone civilian airport, have halved in just five months, underlining the depth of the crisis facing Kashmir’s fragile tourism economy.
On April 22, 2025, just before the terror strike unsettled Kashmir’s tourism flow, the airport handled 102 flights carrying 19,140 passengers.
The day’s operations included 51 arrivals with 9235 passengers and 51 departures with 9905 passengers.
In stark contrast, by September 28, 2025, flight traffic had collapsed to 50 flights – a 51 percent decline – with passenger numbers falling to 8822, reflecting a 54 percent dip.
The breakdown shows 4265 arrivals on 25 flights and 4557 departures on 25 flights, making September traffic less than half of April’s peak.
Civil aviation executives admit that carriers had no choice but to reduce their schedules.
“A 50 percent reduction in flights within a short span mirrors the demand crash. Airlines cannot operate at losses; low load factors have forced consolidation on Srinagar routes,” a senior aviation executive told Greater Kashmir. The reduced connectivity is already rippling across sectors dependent on tourism.
Hoteliers and travel agents say post-attack, they recorded massive cancellations, and the outlook for the winter months is also gloomy.
The decline is not only stunting tourist inflows but also hitting ancillary industries – from handicrafts to road transport – that rely heavily on passenger traffic.
Aviation experts warn that the autumn season, usually considered a second peak for Kashmir tourism, may see muted arrivals unless confidence is urgently restored.
Government efforts to reassure travellers and promote Kashmir as a safe destination have so far failed to translate into higher inflows. As one senior tourism official said, “Numbers don’t lie. The half-empty lounges and reduced schedules are proof that we are in damage-control mode. It will take time, and trust, to undo this slump.”
