Delhi Airport Grounded: Nearly 300 Flights Delayed by ATC Tech Glitch
Delhi Airport Grounded: Nearly 300 Flights Delayed by ATC Tech Glitch
Hundreds of travelers face delays as a malfunction in the Automatic Message Switching System disrupts air traffic control at Delhi's IGI, grounding nearly 300 flights.
Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport was hit by a technical glitch in the Automatic Message Switching System, forcing air traffic controllers to switch to manual flight plan preparations. As a result, nearly 300 departures were delayed across all carriers, with IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air among those reporting knock-on effects.
The AMSS is a critical part of the system that feeds air traffic control data. The outage began Thursday evening and soon created a bottleneck as flight plans could not be auto-generated.
Flight-tracking data show average departure delays around 60 minutes, with a sprawling disruption across the northern region's airports. IGIA handles more than 1,500 movements a day, amplifying the ripple effects when operations stall. Airport officials said technicians are working around the clock to restore the system.
Officials emphasized that safety remains the priority and that the fault is being addressed on a high-priority basis. Travelers were urged to check with their airlines for the latest updates and to plan for potential longer waits at the terminal.
The incident underscores how a single software glitch can disrupt a major hub and affect travel plans across the region, highlighting the need for robust contingency measures and faster recovery.
Cover image source: Delay in all departures at Delhi airport due to technical glitch 🔗
