Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) have gradually resumed after a major technical fault in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system disrupted flight schedules on Friday. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) confirmed late last night that the issue in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS)—critical for routing flight plans and communication between controllers and pilots—has now been resolved, with normal operations being restored in phases.
AAI restores system, assures safety and stability
In an official statement, the AAI expressed regret over the disruption and reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining operational safety and reliability across India’s airspace. The Civil Aviation Ministry clarified that the glitch occurred due to a fault in the Internet Protocol-based AMSS, prompting an urgent review meeting and rapid action to trace and rectify the fault.
During the outage, additional personnel were deployed to manually process flight plans, while the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) was called in to assist with real-time monitoring and system restoration. A joint technical team from Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) and the AAI worked overnight to stabilise the system.
Flights delayed, passengers advised to check with airlines
The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) issued an advisory on X (formerly Twitter) confirming that flights were experiencing delays due to the ATC issue. Passengers were urged to stay in touch with their respective airlines for real-time schedule updates.
Several travellers reported long waiting hours both at terminals and onboard aircraft. One passenger noted, “The crew kept us informed and asked for patience while the issue was being fixed.”
By late evening, authorities confirmed that both domestic and international flight operations had resumed, with air traffic controllers transitioning back to automated handling as the system stabilised. The AAI assured that no flight safety was compromised and that technical teams will continue monitoring the system over the coming days to prevent any recurrence.
