Over 100 Flights Face Delay As Technical Glitch Disrupts Operations At Delhi Airport

Introduction

A significant technical issue at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), Delhi’s main airport, caused widespread flight delays on Friday morning, affecting more than 100 departures and arrivals. The disruption stemmed from a malfunction in the air traffic control (ATC) system, prompting major airlines to issue travel advisories.

What Went Wrong

Airport and aviation officials identified the root cause as a fault in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), which feeds essential flight-plan data into ATC systems. Because the automated system was unavailable, controllers were forced to process flight plans manually — a slower and more error-prone method.

As a result:

• Departures were delayed by an average of 50 to 60 minutes in many cases.
• Flights scheduled between early morning hours (around 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.) were hit hardest.
• Airlines such as IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet confirmed a wide regional impact, especially on northern India operations.

Impact on Passengers and Airlines

Passengers at IGIA faced long waits in check-in queues, boarding delays, and domino-effects on connections. Several arriving flights were held on the ground longer than expected, increasing congestion at gates and taxi-ways.

Airlines responded by:

• Sending urgent advisories telling passengers to check live flight status before arriving at the airport.
• Asking travellers to expect longer service times and more time to clear security and boarding.
• Deploying additional ground-staff assistance to handle irate or anxious passengers.

How the Airport Authority Responded

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) — which manages ATC services — acknowledged the disruption and said technical teams are currently working to restore full automation of the affected systems. Meanwhile the airport operator, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), issued a public advisory urging passengers to stay updated with their airlines and avoid unnecessary wait times at the airport.

Officials emphasised that *landings were largely unaffected, but *take-offs bore the brunt of the delays because of the backlog of departures.

Why This Matters

IGIA is India’s busiest air hub, handling over 1,500 flight movements daily and tens of millions of passengers annually. Any disturbance in its ATC infrastructure has major ripple effects across domestic and international air traffic.

This incident underlines:

• The critical importance of redundant and reliable ATC systems.
• The vulnerability of air traffic operations to single-point technical failures.
• How disruptions in one major node can impact entire air-traffic corridors, connecting northern regions and international routes.

What to Do If You’re Travelling

If you’re heading to or from Delhi in the next 24-48 hours, it is advisable to:

• Check your flight status via the airline’s app or website before leaving home.
• Arrive at the airport well in advance, as delays in boarding and ground operations are likely.
• Be prepared for possible schedule changes or rescheduling of your flight.
• Stay informed through airline updates and airport announcements.

In Summary

• A technical failure in the ATC system at Delhi’s IGIA caused major delays.
• More than 100 flights were delayed, with average departure hold-ups of around an hour.
• Airlines and airport authorities are working to restore normal operations, but residual impacts may be felt for the remainder of the day.

Conclusion

The flight-delay incident at Delhi’s main airport serves as a reminder of how dependent modern aviation is on efficient, accurate technical back-end systems. While the glitch is being resolved, travellers, airlines and the airport must all remain vigilant to manage the ongoing impacts on schedules and passenger experience.