Srinagar, Jan 23 (KNO): As snow kept falling across the Kashmir Valley, hundreds of passengers huddled inside Srinagar International Airport, their eyes fixed on departure screens flashing the same words again and again—Cancelled and Delayed. By 11 a.m., flight operations at the airport were completely suspended.
For many, the day began with hope but soon turned into disappointment. “I reached the airport at 7 a.m., thinking my flight to Delhi would take off by 9,” a Delhi-bound traveller told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). “By 10, the announcements stopped meaning anything. We just sat, sipped tea and waited for the weather to decide, until finally, everything was suspended.”
Earlier, heavy snowfall had shut the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway, suspended the Banihal–Baramulla rail line and forced the cancellation of 26 flights at Srinagar Airport.
As the morning unfolded and the runway was covered with snow, visibility worsened, leading to the cancellation of all arriving and departing flights.
“We have been making announcements and updating passengers, but safety comes first,” said an airport official. “Once the weather stabilises, operations will resume. Until then, we are accommodating stranded passengers as best we can.”
Inside the packed waiting hall, passengers were seen sitting with tired expressions, their faces reflecting frustration as more flights were delayed and later cancelled.
Officials said runway clearance and resumption of operations depend entirely on weather improvement. “Announcements regarding tomorrow’s flights will be made in the morning after assessing the situation,” another airport official said.
Meanwhile, passengers inside the terminal traded stories, shared phone chargers and even offered snacks to strangers with small acts of warmth amid a long, uncertain wait—(KNO)