Resilience in Action: Delhi Airport Flights Soar Back to Normal 24 Hours After Major ATC Glitch!
Flight operations have returned to normal at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport following a significant technical glitch with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system that disrupted thousands of passengers the previous day. The outage, which affected the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) crucial for flight planning, lasted over 15 hours, starting from early Friday morning.
Around 5:45 a.m. on Friday, ATC controllers found themselves grappling with the failure of the AMSS, compelling them to manually prepare flight plans. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) reported that the issue had been fully resolved by 9 p.m. the same day. In a statement on X, the airport announced, “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.”
The incident caused substantial disruptions at one of the world’s busiest airports, where over 1,500 flight movements take place daily across four runways. More than 800 flights were delayed on Friday, with numerous cancellations affecting countless travelers. By Saturday morning, flight tracking website Flightradar24.com reflected ongoing issues, with over 200 flights showing delays, though it remained unclear if these were directly linked to the now-resolved AMSS problems.
The AAI confirmed that the technical difficulties began on Thursday afternoon, with the situation escalating early Friday. In light of the outage, the AAI deployed additional personnel to handle the backlog of flight plans manually, resulting in a time-consuming process. “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,” the AAI stressed.
Despite the challenges, IndiGo, India’s largest airline, was quick to reassure travelers, stating on Saturday morning that airport operator and ATC teams were prioritizing recovery efforts to stabilize operations. The airport’s effective response to the incident ultimately allowed normal operations to resume, although minor delays were still expected as they addressed lingering backlogs.
Acknowledging the complexity of the situation, officials from the AAI confirmed that a team of engineers and AAI personnel remained on-site to monitor the AMSS systems as they resumed normal functionality. They underscored the importance of the AMSS in guaranteeing safe and efficient air traffic control, giving passengers a sense of assurance as they head to the skies.
As the dust settles on this significant disruption, travelers are encouraged to stay updated with their airlines for the latest flight information. The swift action taken by the Delhi Airport and relevant authorities underscores the challenges of air traffic management in today’s complex aviation landscape, marking a critical learning experience for future operational strategies.
Original Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/24-hours-after-massive-atc-glitch-delhi-airport-flight-ops-finally-return-to-normal-11762587973344.html
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Publish Date: 2025-11-08 13:51:00
