Delhi Airport Grapples with Massive Chaos: Technical Glitch Leads to Flight Delays

On Friday, Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi experienced significant disruptions, with over 100 flights delayed due to a technical issue within the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. The airport authority has advised passengers to stay updated on their flight status to avoid inconvenience.

The root cause of the chaos appears to be a malfunction in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS). This system is crucial for transmitting flight plan data to the Auto Track System (ATS). The failure of the AMSS has forced air traffic controllers to manually prepare flight plans, a significantly slower process that has led to congestion and extensive delays. One official noted that the issue began Thursday afternoon, preventing air traffic controllers from automatically receiving flight plans on their screens.

The situation has forced the ATC to switch from automated to manual operations, further slowing down aircraft movements and increasing air traffic congestion. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has not yet released a formal statement but has said that technical teams are working to restore the systems. However, delays are expected to continue until the issue is resolved.

Airlines, including IndiGo and Air India, have acknowledged the disruptions and issued travel advisories to passengers via social media. IndiGo, in a post on X, alerted passengers to potential delays in Delhi and several northern regions due to the ATC system issue. Air India also issued a travel advisory, expressing regret for the inconvenience caused by the unforeseen disruption. SpiceJet has also requested passengers to check their flight status due to ATC congestion.

According to Flightradar24, Delhi Airport, India's busiest, manages over 1,500 flight movements daily. The platform indicated that 513 flights were delayed on Thursday, and 171 flights faced delays since Friday morning, with average wait times reaching up to 53 minutes.

An industry expert, Mark Martin, highlighted airport overcrowding as an emerging challenge for the aviation sector. He emphasized the need for backup plans to manage potential future challenges and for pilots to be prepared for such scenarios.

This incident follows recent disruptions caused by GPS spoofing and abrupt changes in wind direction, raising concerns about vulnerabilities in Delhi's airport network. GPS spoofing involves transmitting fake GPS signals to mislead aircraft about their position.

The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has confirmed that the ATC team is actively collaborating with all stakeholders, including DIAL, to resolve the technical issue.