India to test missiles? Andaman airspace to remain closed for 2 days
India has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for May 23-24 for the likely conduct of a missile test
India has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for May 23-24 for the likely conduct of a missile test, according to news agency PTI. This means airspace around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea will be closed for three hours each on May 23-24 for a planned air activity and no civilian aircraft will be allowed to use the specified airspace at any altitude.
The NOTAM was issued on Friday (May 16) evening. According to the NOTAM, the specified airspace will be restricted between 01:30 and 04:30 UTC (7 am and 10 am IST) on May 23 and 24. This means nine international flight routes will be closed for these periods without any alternative routes being made available.
In the context of airspace closure, an official told PTI, "We have successfully done a high-altitude weapon test today and tomorrow a similar test will be done. This is a routine practice here in Andaman and Nicobar Islands as we have done similar tests in the past also." The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), is the only tri-services command in India.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands region has been used for missile tests in the past. In January 2025, the Indian Army's Western Command announced the successful test launch of BrahMos missiles during an exercise witnessed by senior military leadership. The Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, along with the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Kharga Corps, observed the missile salvo.
In April 2024, the Indian Air Force (IAF) test-fired an air-launched ballistic missile. It was test-fired from a Su-30 MKI fighter jet in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
In March 2022, the country successfully test-fired the extended-range version of a surface-to-surface BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a launch pad in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
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Amid India-Pakistan tensions, this NOTAM is being seen as indicative of a missile test or a high-altitude weapons test. However, there has been no such information from Airports Authority of India, Ministry of Defence, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) or Civil Aviation Ministry.