Over 300 flights delayed at Delhi Airport due to ATC system glitch

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the country’s busiest aviation hub, faced widespread disruptions due to a technical issue with the air traffic control system that led to more than 300 delayed flights, both domestic and international.

The disruption was caused by a fault in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), which is critical for providing flight plan data to the airport’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) systems. With the AMSS malfunctioning, air traffic controllers were forced to prepare flight plans manually, a time-consuming process that significantly slowed operations.

The problem reportedly began on Thursday evening and escalated through Friday morning, causing long queues at boarding gates and hundreds of passengers waiting inside terminals for flight updates. Airlines affected included IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air, and passengers were advised to check their flight status and arrive early at the airport.

According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which manages air traffic control and navigation services, all flights operating at Delhi airport were affected due to the technical issue, as the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) is central to processing flight plans for every aircraft in the airport’s airspace. While media reports specifically mentioned airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air, the disruption potentially impacted all domestic and international carriers with scheduled flights through IGIA. IndiGo noted on social media that “flight operations across Delhi Airport and some northern region airports are currently experiencing delays due to a technical issue with the AMSS that supports ATC data.” The fault forced air traffic controllers to manage flight plans manually, causing delays across the board.

Flight tracking data showed that the average delay for departing flights was around 50–60 minutes, with some flights delayed by over an hour.IGIA typically handles more than 1,500 flight movements daily, making the impact particularly significant.

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), the airport operator, posted an advisory stating, “All airline operations at Delhi Airport are currently delayed. Concerned authorities are working on resolving the issue at the earliest.” While the technical problem is being addressed, there is no confirmed timeline for full restoration, and delays are expected to continue into the day’s remaining schedule.

Passengers have been urged to stay in regular contact with their airlines and monitor flight status actively. The incident highlights the critical dependence of airport operations on automated ATC systems and the challenges faced when technical failures occur at India’s busiest airports.