NewKerala.com

Delhi Airport Crisis: How a Tech Glitch Grounded 800 Flights and Stranded Thousands

Delhi airport has returned to normal operations after a major technical failure in the air traffic control system. The Automatic Message Switching System malfunction caused widespread flight disruptions affecting over 800 flights on Friday. Airport authorities worked through the night to resolve the AMSS issue that delayed flight plan processing. While operations have stabilized, passengers are still advised to check with their airlines for the latest flight updates.

Key Points: Delhi Airport Flight Operations Return to Normal After ATC Glitch

  • Technical glitch in AMSS system disrupted air traffic control operations
  • Over 800 flights delayed on Friday, affecting thousands of passengers
  • Additional staff deployed to manually process flight plans during outage
  • Flight delays reduced from 800 to 129 by Saturday morning
3 min read

Flight operations at Delhi airport back to normal: DIAL

Delhi airport resumes normal operations after major ATC system failure that delayed 800+ flights. DIAL confirms systems stabilized, airlines advise checking flight status.

"All flight operations are normal at Delhi airport - DIAL"

New Delhi, Nov 8

Delhi airport operator DIAL said on Saturday that flight operations at the country’s busiest airport are back to normal since afternoon, after the major malfunction of the air traffic control system that happened on Friday, delaying over 800 flights and stranding passengers.

"All flight operations are normal at Delhi airport," DIAL wrote in a passenger advisory on X.

However, DIAL asked passengers to stay in touch with their airlines for the latest flight updates.

Earlier in the morning, DIAL had said that the technical issue which affected the AMSS was gradually improving. “Airline operations at Delhi Airport are returning to normal, and all concerned authorities are working diligently to minimise any inconvenience caused,” it said on X.

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), which has four runways, handles more than 1,500 flight movements daily.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) said it has addressed the “technical issue in the AMSS, which caused delays in processing flight plan messages”.

“The OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) was engaged, and additional staff were deployed to manually process Flight Plans for the Air Traffic Control system to ensure uninterrupted and safe air traffic operations immediately.

According to a flight tracking website, Flightradar 24, 129 flights (53 arrivals and 76 departures) were delayed on Saturday morning as compared with the nearly 800 delays on Friday.

The Delhi airport, in its statement this morning, said, "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 latest flight update."

IndiGo Airlines, which was among the other major airlines affected by the outage, also issued an advisory saying the flight operations are "progressively" being restored at the Delhi Airport.

"We are pleased to share that the temporary AMSS system outage affecting Air Traffic Control has now been resolved, and normal operations are being progressively restored at Delhi Airport and other impacted airports in the northern region. We appreciate the efforts of the airport and ATC authorities in resolving the issue and getting systems back online. As flight operations stabilise, delays and terminal-side congestion may continue for some time, and we thank you for bearing with us during this transition back to normalcy," the airline’s statement added.

The airline, in an earlier post, added, "Airport operator and ATC teams are working on priority to fully restore systems and stabilise operations. The situation is expected to be normalised over the next few hours. During this period, some departure and arrival timings may continue to be adjusted."

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
This is why we need better infrastructure investment. Delhi airport handles 1500+ flights daily - such technical glitches can't keep happening. Good that they resolved it quickly though.
S
Sarah B
My flight to Mumbai was delayed by 6 hours. The communication from airlines was poor - we had to figure things out ourselves. They need better passenger handling protocols during such crises.
A
Arjun K
Kudos to the ATC and airport staff who worked manually to process flight plans! 🇮🇳 Technical issues can happen anywhere, but it's the response that matters. Delhi airport handled it well overall.
M
Michael C
From 800 delays to 129 - that's significant improvement. But still, 129 delayed flights means thousands of passengers affected. Hope they conduct a thorough investigation to prevent recurrence.
N
Nisha Z
My brother missed his important business meeting because of this. While I understand technical glitches happen, there should be better compensation policies for affected passengers. The airlines should offer more than just apologies.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50