Delhi airport ATC technical glitch delays over 200 flights

A technical fault in the air-traffic-control (ATC) system at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi caused significant disruptions to flight operations starting Thursday evening. The fault, centred on the automatic message-switching system that supports flight-planning data for controllers, forced the ATC to switch to manual processing, triggering delays to hundreds of flights across domestic and international carriers.

Airport authorities and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) issued livelier advisories on Friday morning, reporting that more than 175 departures had been delayed and average first-morning departure delays stood at roughly 55 minutes. International carriers such as Virgin Atlantic and ITA Airways were also affected.

Disruption scale, causes

Data from Flightradar24 and internal airline communications show delays for more than 100 flights, with some reports putting the number at 400. The disruption stemmed from a failure in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), which automatically feeds flight-plan information into ATC consoles. With that system down, controllers had to compile and process data manually, slowing aircraft movements significantly.

The airport operator, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), confirmed the issue in a social-media post: “Due to a technical issue with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, flight operations at IGIA are experiencing delays. Their team is actively working with all stakeholders, including DIAL, to resolve it at the earliest.”

Major airlines, including IndiGo, SpiceJet and Air India, issued travel advisories urging passengers to check flight status, arrive early and expect longer waiting and boarding times.

Passenger impact, knock-on effects

Several travellers at Terminals 2 and 3 reported extended queues, longer wait times at gates and confusion over revised departure timings. According to official tracking, some aircraft were held on runways or in holding patterns until clearances could be processed manually.

The glitch also triggered delays at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Mumbai) as the knock-on effect of scheduling and air-traffic shifts spread beyond Delhi. The Mumbai airport issued its own advisory warning of potential delays tied to the Delhi fault.

Aviation-industry analysts warn that even when the system is restored, residual congestion may cause ripple effects across regional airports and on evening schedules. The crisis underlines the heavy reliance of India’s busiest airports on automated ATC subsystems.

Passengers reported frustration and uncertainty as operations became slower and more unpredictable. Some were rerouted or delayed for hours; others missed connecting flights abroad. Airlines deployed extra ground staff and customer service teams to manage the backlog and provide updates.

While the technical teams worked through the morning, the precise time for complete restoration remained uncertain. The AAI declined to link the fault to malware or hacking, but said an investigation was underway into whether a cyber-cause or system fault was at the root.