Normalcy returns at Delhi airport after massive technical snag delays 800 flights

After 36 hours of disruptions caused by a major technical snag, flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) have returned to normal, said the Delhi Airport in a travel advisory.

An advisory stated, “All flight operations are normal at Delhi Airport. Wishing all our passengers a smooth and pleasant journey ahead! Passengers are advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest flight updates.”

Advertisement

In an earlier update, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on Saturday said that “all concerned authorities are working diligently to minimise any inconvenience caused” and advised passengers to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest flight updates.

Delhi Airport, in its advisory earlier stated: “The technical issue which affected the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), that supports the Air Traffic Control flight planning process, is gradually improving. Airline operations at Delhi Airport are returning to normal, and all concerned authorities are working diligently to minimise any inconvenience caused. Passengers are advised to stay in touch with their airlines for the latest flight update.”

The chaos began around 3 pm on Thursday, when a malfunction in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) disrupted the flow of crucial flight plan data to the Auto Track System (ATS)—a core part of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) network. The AMSS is responsible for automatically feeding flight plan information to ATC screens, and its failure forced controllers to process flight plans manually, slowing down operations significantly.

“This kind of technical glitch is very rare. Because everything has to be done manually, the situation at Delhi ATC is chaotic right now,” an official told the media.

As a result, Delhi’s IGI Airport, India’s busiest, handling over 1,500 flights daily, faced severe congestion. As per a news agency, over 800 flights were delayed on Friday.

By Friday morning, around 8:30 am, the Delhi airport issued an advisory confirming the technical issue and urging passengers to coordinate with airlines for updated schedules.

“Due to a technical issue with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, flight operations at IGIA are experiencing delays. The ATC team is actively working with all stakeholders, including DIAL, to resolve it at the earliest,” the advisory read.

The disruption in Delhi also had a ripple effect on operations at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). Since Delhi’s AMSS supports flight planning for other ATC zones as well, flights at Mumbai were also delayed. CSMIA issued a passenger advisory noting that airline operations “may experience delays” and advised travellers to stay connected with their airlines for real-time updates.

Air India Flight Hit by Separate Technical Snag

Separately, Air India’s Mumbai–London flight (AI129) was delayed by nearly seven hours on Saturday due to a technical snag, causing inconvenience to passengers who took to social media to express frustration. The flight, originally scheduled to depart at 6:30 am from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, is now expected to take off at 1 pm.