Delhi airport technical glitch: Centre rules out cyber attack after air traffic snag hits over 800 flights
Delhi airport flight delays: The IT ministry checked the situation on Friday morning specifically to rule out a cyber attack, and the civil aviation ministry confirmed that there was no such incident.
As delays continued at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday, the Centre has ruled out a cyber attack, clarifying that the ongoing flight disruptions have happened due to a technical glitch with the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) which is used on Air Traffic Control (ATC).
Hindustan Times reported, citing an Information and Technology Ministry official that the problem occurred during an upgrade to the Air Traffic Control software. The system responsible for automatically updating flight plans stopped working. The official said it was a technical fault and not a cybersecurity breach.
The IT ministry checked the situation on Friday morning specifically to rule out a cyber attack, and the civil aviation ministry confirmed that there was no such incident, the report added.
Delhi airport glitch: 800 flights impacted
The Delhi airport, which handles more than 1,500 flights a day, saw 513 flight delays on Thursday, according to the tracking service Flightradar24.
On Friday, the situation worsened as more than 300 domestic and international flights were delayed due to the ongoing technical issues in the air traffic control system. All airlines operating from the airport have been affected. Authorities are working to resolve the problem as soon as possible.
In its latest update, the Delhi airport said all airline operations are currently impacted due to the issue and concerned authorities are working for a resolution at the earliest.
IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa Air have all confirmed delays in their services due to the issue.
The Airports Authority of India said the delays are linked to a problem in the Automatic Message Switching System, which supports air traffic control data. Technical teams are currently working to restore the system.
Passengers face a harrowing time
Inside the airport, long queues formed near boarding gates and many passengers were waiting for updates on their flights.
According to sources, air traffic controllers have been unable to receive automated flight plan data since Thursday evening. The system that usually processes and provides these flight plans is not functioning, and controllers are now preparing them manually. This process takes more time, leading to widespread delays.
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