Himachal: Tourists Stranded At Kangra Airport Amid Israel-Iran Tension

The escalating conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran has sparked concern among international tourists in Dharamshala, a popular North Indian hill town.

Frequent flight cancellations and disruptions, particularly at Kangra airport, have left visitors anxious over travel plans and return journeys, highlighting the growing impact of tensions in West Asia on global travel.

Speaking to ANI, Israeli tourist Vila expressed her concerns over disrupted travel plans. “I was supposed to continue this morning to Israel, but my flight got cancelled. I continued here and am trying to find a way to get back home. People in Israel are in shelters and in Israel, and we have shelters almost in every home. If I get an opportunity, the only message I can give out is that all humanity is one, and my deepest prayers for peace. I will find some ways to go back, but it may take some days,” she said.

Expressing concerns about possible flight cancellations, Surender Aggarwal, an NRI, told ANI, “I just came to visit Dharamshala and our flights back home are in the week. The current war situation is worrying, and any cancellations of international flights would affect our personal programme. And we hope that the war doesn’t continue and the international airports remain open.”

Highlighting the impact on tourists’ itineraries, Dr. Vinay Gupta, a surgeon from Delhi, said, “Certainly it has a great impact on tourists because they have a certain period to visit this place and if any flight gets cancelled then it is very difficult for them to complete their tour in the same duration so the government and the responsible bodies should take care of passengers because the flights are getting cancelled due to war or international problem. There is no impact on the domestic flights, but others are facing problems.”

Dharamshala welcomed over 30,000 foreign tourists in 2025, marking the highest number since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The flight cancellations come amid heightened hostilities in the Middle East after coordinated military strikes involving Israel and the United States targeted Iranian sites, triggering retaliatory threats and airspace shutdowns in Iran, Israel and Iraq.

Reuters cited Iranian state media reporting that 40 days of public mourning were announced in Iran after Khamenei’s death. (ANI)