Flight Delays at Delhi's Airport Due to ATC System Failure

Post by : Raina Nasser

Early Friday morning, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) encountered major operational disruptions after a technical failure in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. This incident led to delays for more than 400 flights as the glitch affected the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), which is crucial for delivering flight plan data to the Auto Track System (ATS).

The initial delays started with the malfunctioning AMSS, which forced air traffic controllers to manually handle flight plans instead of the usual automated process. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has confirmed that specialized teams are actively working to restore the affected system.

“At present, flight operations at Delhi Airport are facing delays due to a malfunction in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) that assists Air Traffic Control. As controllers must manually process flight plans, delays have become inevitable. We thank passengers for their understanding and cooperation,” stated the AAI.

IGIA, the busiest airport in India, typically manages over 1,500 flights daily. Flight monitoring data revealed that 513 flights experienced delays on Thursday, while Friday's schedule reported 313 delayed departures and 118 late arrivals, with many flights experiencing delays between 30 to 60 minutes during peak hours.

An airport representative revealed that the issue had commenced around 3 p.m. Thursday and persisted into Friday, leading to air traffic congestion. “Every flight plan must now be manually entered and processed, causing substantial delays in aircraft movements,” the official explained.

According to a source within the ATC, the scale of this glitch is described as “unprecedented,” emphasizing that such an extensive failure has never occurred before. “There's chaos in the ATC room right now. Every plan for departures and arrivals must be manually verified to ensure safety,” the source elaborated.

Major airlines including IndiGo and Air India issued public apologies to their passengers, advising them to check flight statuses before traveling to the airport. IndiGo noted, “Flight operations at Delhi Airport are currently facing delays due to a technical issue with the Air Traffic Control system. We appreciate your patience as our teams assist the affected passengers.”

Air India reinforced these sentiments, stating that the circumstance was “beyond their control” while ensuring travelers that their ground and cabin crew are providing full support.

As of Friday evening, airport authorities confirmed that repair efforts were still underway, and delays are expected to persist until the AMSS system is fully operational.

This incident highlights a rare event where the nation's busiest airport has encountered such extensive delays due to a technical failure in the ATC system, emphasizing the critical need for reliable digital infrastructure to ensure efficient air traffic management.