False social-media posts claiming “all flights from Delhi airport cancelled due to war situation in India” flooded WhatsApp and X on Thursday night, leading worried travelers to jam airline call centers and security desks at Indira Gandhi International Airport. Within hours aviation regulators, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), and the government fact-checking unit debunked the story, labeling it a classic case of misinformation that feeds on regional tension and public anxiety.
How the rumor began
Cyber-monitoring firm Voyager Analytics traced the earliest post to a screenshot shared on a small Telegram channel at 6.42 pm IST, 8 May 2025. The image showed a forged NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) declaring a “blanket suspension of civil flights between 9 May and 11 May.” The fake notice used DGCA letterhead but contained several formatting errors and an incorrect signature line. By 9 pm the screenshot had hopped to at least fourteen WhatsApp groups and two X threads, collecting more than seventeen thousand forwards in under three hours.
Official responses that debunked the claim
- Press Information Bureau Fact Check posted at 10.03 pm: “No NOTAM has been issued. Flights are operating normally. Citizens are advised to verify news from official handles before sharing.”
- Delhi Airport Twitter handle (@DelhiAirport) followed at 10.15 pm: “All terminals remain operational with routine arrivals and departures. The circulated NOTAM image is fabricated.”
- Directorate General of Civil Aviation released a short press note at 10.30 pm stating that the only active NOTAM for Delhi involved a scheduled runway maintenance window from 02.30 am to 04.30 am, affecting just three domestic red-eye flights that were already rescheduled.
- IndiGo and Air India posted customer advisories confirming on-time operations and asked passengers to rely on airline apps or call centers for verified updates.
Why the story resonated
Media-ethics researcher Beena Agarwal told Hindustan Times the rumor gained traction because it exploited two live stress points: the recent escalation of border rhetoric and memories of the 2020 lockdown when flights were grounded with little notice. “People remember how quickly air travel stopped in the pandemic. A screenshot that looks official can re-activate that fear even if the details are wrong,” she said.
Impact on travelers and airlines
- Call-center overload: IndiGo reported a six-fold spike in helpline traffic between 9 pm and midnight, forcing the carrier to draft extra staff.
- Airport queues: Delhi Airport security staff said about two hundred domestic passengers arrived four to five hours before departure “just in case,” creating longer lines at Terminal 2.
- No actual cancellations: Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed 612 arrivals and departures in the twenty-four-hour window ending 6 am on 9 May, matching the weekly average.
How to spot a fake NOTAM or government notice
- Check the date format – DGCA circulars use “DD-Mon-YYYY” not “MM-DD-YYYY.”
- Verify signatures – Every NOTAM includes a four-letter signature code tied to a real official; fake versions often leave this field blank.
- Cross-reference – Open dgca.gov.in or the Airports Authority of India NOTAM portal; genuine notices appear there within seconds of release.
- Look for press-release ID – PIB and ministries assign numeric IDs to every advisory. The viral image had none.
Tips to protect yourself from travel misinformation
- Follow official channels: @DGCAIndia, @MOCA_GoI, and @DelhiAirport on X post real-time updates.
- Use airline apps: Boarding passes and live flight status are synchronized with Air India, IndiGo, Vistara, SpiceJet, and international carriers.
- Report fake forwards: If a WhatsApp message lacks an official link, long-press and choose “Report” so Meta can flag it.
- Educate family groups: One accurate screenshot circulated with source links can stop twelve bad forwards, according to a 2024 IIT Delhi study on rumor contagion.
What regulators plan next
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said it will file a cyber-crime complaint under Section 66D of the IT Act against the unknown creators of the forged NOTAM. Authorities are also considering a public-awareness campaign at major airports, similar to the “Stop. Verify. Share” posters used during cyclone season.
Bottom line
There is no flight cancellation at Delhi airport caused by any war situation. The rumor was a coordinated misinformation burst that preyed on public fear. Travelers should rely on verified government or airline sources, not untagged screenshots. Misinformation spreads fast but can be stopped just as quickly when official channels and alert citizens work together.
Sources
Press Information Bureau Fact Check tweet, 8 May 2025, 10.03 pm IST
DGCA press note “No flight suspension at IGI,” issued 8 May 2025, 10.30 pm
Delhi Airport official account @DelhiAirport, message timestamp 10.15 pm 8 May 2025
Hindustan Times interview with Beena Agarwal, digital edition 9 May 2025
Flightradar24 traffic summary for VIDP, retrieved 9 May 2025, 9 am
