Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), India’s busiest airport with over 1,500 daily flight movements, experienced significant disruptions on November 7 (Friday), due to a technical fault in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. The issue originated on the evening of November 6 (Thursday) when the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), responsible for supplying critical flight plan data to the Auto Track System, started malfunctioning. As a result, air traffic controllers were forced to prepare flight plans manually, a slower and more labor-intensive process, which led to extensive delays and congestion both on the ground and in the air.
Widespread impact on airlines and passengers
Nearly 300 flights were delayed, with average departure delays around 50 to 60 minutes, affecting airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, Akasa Air, and Air India Express. Hundreds of passengers faced long waits at boarding gates amid lack of timely information, causing frustration. Airlines issued advisories urging passengers to check flight status via official channels and reporting ongoing efforts to assist travelers despite the disruption.
Yogesh, a passenger travelling to Switzerland, expressed dismay over inadequate communication, stating that while receiving phone calls, he had not been given official updates or seen information displayed, highlighting the communication challenges during the disruption.
Authorities’ response and restoration efforts
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which manages air navigation services, acknowledged the technical fault and reassured that teams are working round-the-clock to restore normal operations. Coordination among ATC, DIAL, and other stakeholders has been prioritized to minimize inconvenience and clear the backlog as swiftly as possible. The technical teams are actively troubleshooting the AMSS problem to resume automatic flight planning.
Broader ramifications
Given Delhi’s role as a major aviation hub, delays at IGIA have ripple effects across the national and international flight schedules. The incident came shortly after a previous technical snag was reported earlier in the week, underscoring challenges in airport infrastructure management amid rising air traffic demand. Passengers are advised to remain updated on their flight status through airline websites and official airport channels to navigate the ongoing situation effectively.
