Delhi airport chaos: Nearly 300 flights delayed due to air traffic control system malfunction

Delhi airport was a scene of chaos on Friday as nearly 300 flights were delayed due to technical problems with the air traffic control system. With hundreds of passengers stranded and waiting for updates, authorities are scrambling to fix the issue, which has caused widespread disruption.

Passengers at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) faced significant delays on Friday as nearly 300 flights were held up due to a technical glitch in the air traffic control system. Airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air, reported flight delays at the country’s busiest airport, which handles over 1,500 flight movements daily.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) explained that the delays were caused by a malfunction in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), a crucial part of the system that supports air traffic control data. The issue, which began affecting the airport on Thursday evening, has resulted in air traffic controllers being unable to automatically retrieve flight plans. As a result, flight plans have had to be prepared manually, a time-consuming process that has contributed to the delays and caused air traffic congestion at the airport.

“Due to an ongoing technical issue with the AMSS that supports Air Traffic Control data, flights across all airlines at Delhi Airport and some other airports in the northern region are currently experiencing delays,” IndiGo posted on X, providing a real-time update. Flightradar24, a flight tracking website, showed that departure delays were averaging around 60 minutes at Delhi airport, with nearly 300 flights delayed.

Authorities are working to restore the system as quickly as possible. The AAI assured passengers that technical teams were addressing the issue with high priority. Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), the operator of the airport, also issued a statement acknowledging the disruption, stating, "This matter is being addressed on priority with close coordination among ATC, DIAL, and other stakeholders."

Meanwhile, long queues formed at the airport's boarding gates as hundreds of passengers waited for updates on their flights. With the AMSS issue continuing, air traffic controllers were working to manually process flight data, adding to the delays. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation as they work to resolve the problem and clear the congestion.

(With inputs from PTI)