New Delhi: Efforts are continuing at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport to restore full flight operations after a massive technical failure in the air traffic control system disrupted more than 300 flights on Friday. The Airports Authority of India said technical teams have managed to partially stabilize the system, but delays are still being reported across several domestic and international routes.
The issue began when the Automatic Message Switching System, responsible for managing flight plan data, stopped functioning properly late Thursday night. This forced air traffic controllers to switch to manual operations, significantly slowing down the flow of departures and arrivals. Though the core system is now being restored, officials say complete normalcy may take some more time.
Airport authorities are working closely with airlines to manage flight schedules and reduce congestion in the terminals. Extra ground staff have been deployed to assist passengers, and airlines have adjusted their schedules to accommodate delayed departures. Despite these measures, some flights continue to face delays of 30 to 45 minutes as the backlog clears.
The disruption also had a ripple effect on other major airports, including Mumbai, where several connecting flights were delayed. Airlines like IndiGo and Air India have issued fresh advisories urging passengers to check flight statuses frequently and arrive early for check-in.
The Airports Authority of India has launched an internal review to determine the root cause of the malfunction. While the glitch appears to be a technical one, officials have not ruled out other factors and have promised a detailed report once the investigation is complete.
Passengers have expressed relief that the situation is gradually improving but remain concerned about the airport’s readiness to handle such incidents. Many have called for better backup systems and communication channels to avoid similar chaos in the future.
With operations slowly returning to normal, authorities have assured travelers that measures are being taken to strengthen system reliability and ensure smoother functioning of India’s busiest airport in the coming days.