All flight operations return to normal after glitch: Delhi airport operator

The Indira Gandhi International Airport said that the technical issue that affected the AMSS, which supports the ATC flight planning process, is gradually improving

The Delhi airport operator on Saturday said that all the flight operations returned to normal after a major technical glitch in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system caused delays to more than 800 domestic and international flights on Friday, disrupting fuctions at one of India’s busiest aviation hubs.

 

In a statement issued earlier in the day, the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) said, “The technical issue that affected the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), which supports the ATC flight planning process, is gradually improving.”

 

The airport added that airline operations are returning to normal, with all authorities “working diligently to minimise inconvenience caused.” Passengers were advised to stay in touch with their airlines for the latest flight updates.

Operations expected to normalise in the next few hours

Budget carrier IndiGo posted a travel advisory on X (formerly Twitter) stating that airport and ATC teams were working on a priority to restore systems and stabilise operations, adding that “the situation is expected to normalise over the next few hours.” 

 

“Our teams are on the ground and actively assisting customers with updated schedules, onward connections, and real-time information to help make any unavoidable wait more manageable,” the airline said.

 

During the glitch, several flights were rescheduled or delayed, leading to long queues at boarding gates and hundreds of stranded passengers across terminals.

What caused the disruption?

According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the disruption was triggered by a technical fault in the AMSS, an IP-based system used for flight plan processing. The glitch prevented controllers from automatically receiving and processing flight plans, forcing manual handling.

 

A review meeting was chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), along with the AAI chairman and senior officials, to assess the situation and coordinate corrective measures.

 

The system’s Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) was engaged immediately, and teams from ECIL and AAI engineers were deployed to manually process flight plans, ensuring safe and uninterrupted air operations.

 

“The AMSS systems are now up and functional. Due to some backlogs, there may still be minor delays in automated operations, but the situation will return to normal soon,” the AAI said in a statement on Friday.

Delhi among India’s busiest airports

The Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport handles over 1,500 flight movements daily, serving as a key aviation hub for India and South Asia.

 

At least 20 flights were cancelled and hundreds more delayed on Friday as airlines including IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air reported disruptions caused by the ATC system failure.

 

While normalcy has largely been restored, officials warned that minor residual delays could continue as airlines clear operational backlogs over the weekend.