A massive air traffic control (ATC) glitch at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) caused severe disruption on Friday, leading to over 100 flight delays and affecting thousands of passengers. The technical fault, which emerged early in the morning, brought operations at India’s busiest airport to a near standstill for several hours, creating long queues, packed terminals, and growing frustration among travelers.
According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the glitch occurred in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), a critical communication link that provides flight-plan data to air traffic controllers. When this system failed, controllers had to revert to manual processes for managing flight plans and clearances, significantly slowing down the flow of departures and arrivals. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which manages the airport, confirmed that both domestic and international flights were hit, with delays ranging from 30 minutes to over two hours in some cases.
Flight-tracking platforms reported that at one point, nearly 90% of the morning departures were delayed. Airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, Vistara, and SpiceJet issued advisories urging passengers to check the latest flight status before leaving for the airport. The situation caused widespread chaos inside terminals, as passengers waited for updates amid long security and check-in lines.
The AAI released a statement saying that technical teams were working around the clock to restore the system and bring operations back to normal. “Flight operations at Delhi Airport are experiencing delays due to a technical issue in the Automatic Message Switching System. Controllers are processing flight plans manually, which has led to delays. We regret the inconvenience caused and are working to resolve the issue at the earliest,” the statement read.
Experts pointed out that the AMSS is an essential part of air traffic management, responsible for routing, transmitting, and receiving vital information about flight plans and aircraft coordination. When this automated system fails, the efficiency of ATC operations is severely compromised, especially at a major aviation hub like Delhi, which handles over 1,500 flights daily. Manual coordination, while reliable, is significantly slower and more prone to human error, leading to cascading delays across the network.
By late afternoon, the AAI said partial restoration of the system had begun, though residual delays were expected to continue through the day as airlines worked to reschedule flights. The disruption not only affected departures and arrivals at Delhi but also had a knock-on effect on connecting flights across India and abroad.
This incident highlights the fragility of automated aviation systems and the widespread impact even a short-term glitch can have on air travel. As investigations continue into the cause of the technical failure, passengers are being advised to monitor airline updates closely and expect ongoing schedule adjustments until normal operations fully resume.
Delhi Airport, known as one of Asia’s busiest, has faced similar disruptions in the past due to weather and airspace congestion. However, this episode marks one of the largest operational breakdowns in recent months caused by a system malfunction. The authorities have assured that measures will be taken to prevent such occurrences in the future, emphasizing the need for enhanced system redundancy and technical preparedness at major airports.