Nearly 300 flights were delayed as Delhi’s IGI airport on Friday faced technical problems with the air traffic control system, The Delhi airport in this regard issued an advisory for passengers. "Due to a technical issue with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, flight operations at IGIA are experiencing delays. Their team is actively working with all stakeholders including DIAL to resolve it at the earliest. Passengers are advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest flight updates. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused,” the airport said in a statement.
Airports Authority of India issues statement on flight delays
Airports Authority of India also issued a statement and said, “Flight operations at Delhi Airport are experiencing delays due to a technical issue in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), which supports Air Traffic Control data. Controllers are processing flight plans manually, leading to some delays. Technical teams are working to restore the system at the earliest. We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of all passengers and stakeholders.”
Delhi's IGI airport handles more than 1,500 flight movements daily
It should be noted that the national capital's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the country's busiest airport, handles more than 1,500 flight movements daily. At the moment, the air traffic controllers are unable to get flight plans automatically due to the technical issues since Thursday evening.
There are some issues with the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) that provides the information for the Auto Track System (AMS), which gives the flight plans, one of the sources told PTI.
With the system issues continuing, air traffic controllers are preparing the flight plans manually with available data, which is a time-consuming process and as a result, many flights are getting delayed.
More than 100 flights have been delayed at the airport on Friday morning and the information available on flight tracking website Flightradar24.com showed that there is around 50 minutes delay for flight departures at the Delhi airport.
Airlines issue advisory for passengers
Air India issued advisory for passengers and said, "A technical issue with the ATC system in Delhi is impacting flight operations across all airlines, leading to delays and longer wait times at the airport and onboard aircraft..."
IndiGo issued advisory for passengers and said, "Flight operations at Delhi Airport are currently experiencing delays due to a technical issue with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. As a result, flight operations at Delhi and several northern regions are impacted..."
SpiceJet issued advisory for passengers and said, “ATC (Air Traffic Control) congestion reported at Delhi airport. "Due to ATC (Air Traffic Control) congestion at Delhi, all Departures/Arrivals and their consequential flights might get affected."
