Air India and Air India Express are offering free rescheduling and full refunds for defense personnel amid heightened tensions following India’s Operation Sindoor strikes in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a strong gesture of support to India’s armed forces, Air India and Air India Express have announced free ticket rescheduling and full refunds on cancellations for defense personnel, following the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam and the subsequent launch of Operation Sindoor.
The offer applies to all defense personnel holding tickets booked under defense fares on either airline until May 31, 2025, with a one-time rescheduling waiver valid up to June 30, 2025.
The announcement comes in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, a decisive and coordinated counter-terror operation carried out by the Indian military in the early hours of Wednesday night. Launched as a direct response to the brutal terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam—which claimed 26 lives including that of pony handler Syed Adil Hussain Shah—the operation targeted key terror infrastructures across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Over the course of a 25-minute-long precision missile and drone strike, Indian forces struck nine high-value terrorist sites. These included major camps belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke—both responsible for orchestrating cross-border attacks on Indian soil. The Indian armed forces reportedly used advanced unmanned aerial vehicles and surface-to-surface missiles to neutralize these terror hubs.
“In the prevailing situation, for those personnel holding defence fares who are booked on Air India and Air India Express flights till 31 May 2025, we are offering full refunds on cancellation and a one-time waiver on rescheduling flights up to 30 June 2025 to support their duty commitments,” Air India said in a statement posted on social media platform X.
Air India Express shared a similar message, emphasizing its commitment to supporting military personnel during this time of heightened national alert.
This initiative by the Tata-owned airlines has been widely appreciated, as the country stands behind its armed forces amid mounting regional tensions. Security across India’s border states remains tight, and military preparedness is high as a deterrent to further provocations following the Pahalgam tragedy.
(PTI inputs)
