Republic Day 2026: Authorities warn of flight disruptions at Delhi's IGI Airport between Jan 21-26 airspace restrictions

Economic Times
Economic Times
2h ago
With Republic Day airspace restrictions in place over Delhi from Jan 21–26, 2026, passengers should anticipate possible delays and cancellations at IGI and on connected routes, and plan travel with extra time and frequent status checks.
Republic Day 2026: Authorities warn of flight disruptions at Delhi's IGI Airport between Jan 21-26 airspace restrictions
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Key insights

  • 1

    Airspace restrictions tied to rehearsals and flypast drive multi-day disruption risk: The advisory links expected delays/cancellations to temporary restrictions for Republic Day parade rehearsals and the main event, spanning roughly six days (Jan 21–26).

  • 2

    Disruptions extend beyond Delhi via route suspensions: Bhopal Airport communicated impacts on flights to/from Delhi, including suspensions of specific IndiGo and Air India Bhopal–Delhi services during the affected dates.

  • 3

    Passenger mitigation steps emphasized: Authorities recommend checking flight status in advance, arriving early, and relying on official airline/airport notifications to reduce last-minute inconvenience.

A What happened
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) issued a passenger advisory stating that temporary airspace restrictions over Delhi for Republic Day parade rehearsals and the flypast, as well as the main parade, are expected to affect flight operations at IGI Airport from January 21 for six days. Travelers were advised to check flight status with airlines before leaving, arrive early, and monitor airline/airport notifications. The impact extends to other airports with Delhi connections; Bhopal Airport notified passengers of disruptions, and specific Bhopal–Delhi services by IndiGo and Air India were listed as suspended during parts of the period. A private booking platform (Paytm Checkin) also cautioned that some flights in the Jan 21–26 window may be rescheduled or cancelled.

Topics

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