India–Pakistan Conflict Triggers Fresh Travel Warnings for Aussies

Australian travel agents with clients heading to India or Pakistan are being urged to stay alert, as tensions between the two nations continue to rise. The latest conflict—sparked by a deadly attack in Kashmir last month—has led to missile strikes, airspace closures and fresh travel warnings from the Australian Government.

On 22 April, a bombing in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, left 26 Indian tourists dead. India responded with missile strikes under what it dubbed “Operation Sindoor,” targeting sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. That exchange set off a wave of drone attacks and shelling along the Line of Control, resulting in civilian casualties and large-scale displacement.

While both sides announced a ceasefire on 10 May, reports of overnight fighting have cast serious doubt on how long it will hold.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has updated its Smartraveller advice accordingly. Travellers are now being told not to travel to Jammu and Kashmir (excluding Ladakh), the India–Pakistan border region, and India’s Manipur state. DFAT also advises reconsidering travel to the Attari–Wagah border crossing, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland and parts of Assam.

Pakistan’s advice is even more stringent. Australians are being told not to travel to Balochistan or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, or anywhere near the borders with India or Afghanistan (with a few exceptions such as Lahore). All other areas carry a “reconsider your need to travel” rating.

The Wagah border crossing is closed until further notice, and cross-border movement has been suspended.

Air travel across the region has also been affected. A number of domestic and international carriers—including Air India, IndiGo, Lufthansa, British Airways and Emirates—have rerouted or suspended flights to avoid Pakistani airspace. Flight tracking data shows barely any commercial traffic over Pakistan.

For Australian travel agents, the advice is clear: stay across the latest from Smartraveller, proactively communicate with clients booked to travel to the region, and encourage flexible travel plans wherever possible. Travellers should reconfirm flight details with their airlines and make sure they have comprehensive travel insurance that covers delays and changes due to civil unrest.

With the situation still unfolding, it’s worth advising clients to steer clear of affected areas entirely and consider alternative destinations in the short term.