Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, India’s busiest aviation hub, faced massive chaos for two days after a major technical failure disrupted flight operations. Over 800 domestic and international flights were delayed between Thursday and Friday, causing frustration among passengers and confusion inside terminals. The problem was traced to a key Air Traffic Control (ATC) system called the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) — a digital communication tool crucial for the smooth flow of information between pilots, controllers, and airline staff.
The Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) is one of the most important communication systems inside airports. It acts as a digital messenger for the Air Traffic Control (ATC) department, automatically sending, receiving, and storing vital flight-related information. These messages include flight plans, weather updates, aircraft movement details, and coordination alerts between airports and aviation authorities.
Simply put, the AMSS ensures that everyone involved in managing flights — from air traffic controllers to pilots and ground staff — receives the correct information at the right time. This coordination allows thousands of aircraft to take off, land, and move smoothly through controlled airspace every day.
At Delhi’s busy Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), which handles more than 1,500 flights daily, AMSS plays a vital role in maintaining order and efficiency. The system updates flight plans automatically and shares them instantly with different teams. This reduces the manual workload of controllers and ensures that aircraft movements are safe, timely, and well-coordinated.
However, when this system fails, the entire communication chain is disrupted. The automatic exchange of data stops, forcing controllers to handle everything manually — from filing flight plans to confirming take-off and landing schedules. Such a breakdown can easily paralyse operations at a major airport like Delhi.
According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the AMSS failure occurred due to a technical glitch during a software upgrade in the ATC system. The malfunction prevented the automatic updating of flight plans and delayed the exchange of information between departments. Without these automatic updates, air traffic controllers had to switch to manual operations, which drastically slowed down the entire flight management process.
As a result, flights started backing up quickly. Over 800 flights — both domestic and international — were delayed across Thursday and Friday. Many flights took off or landed 30 minutes to one hour late, while others faced longer delays because of the congestion that built up through the day.
Passengers at Delhi Airport were seen standing in long queues, waiting at boarding gates, and crowding customer service counters for updates. The usually smooth airport experience turned chaotic, with multiple terminals packed beyond capacity. Airlines struggled to reschedule their operations, with staff working overtime to coordinate with the ATC manually.
Leading airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air all confirmed that their services were affected. While the glitch originated in Delhi, the ripple effect was felt in other major cities such as Mumbai, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Varanasi, since many of their flights were connected to Delhi.
The AAI clarified that the disruption was not caused by a cyberattack, as some speculated, but purely by a technical malfunction. Engineers from the AAI’s communication and navigation department identified the issue and fixed it by November 7, restoring normal communication between ATC and airline systems.
The disruption showed how dependent modern air travel has become on digital systems like AMSS. Even a short failure can create a domino effect, delaying dozens of flights and stranding thousands of passengers.
At large airports like Delhi, air traffic operates in a tightly controlled sequence — one small delay can impact dozens of other flights waiting for take-off or landing slots. When the AMSS went down, every flight plan had to be checked and approved manually, which took several minutes longer per flight. Over time, this caused a massive backlog of delayed flights.
Officials explained that while the system was fixed on Friday morning, the recovery process took time because of the accumulated congestion in the flight schedule. Airport staff worked round the clock to clear the backlog and help passengers reach their destinations.
Experts say that such failures highlight the importance of strong backup systems and regular maintenance checks in air traffic control networks. The AMSS, though highly advanced, needs constant monitoring and technical upgrades to prevent such breakdowns in the future.
Despite the setback, the AAI assured passengers that no flight safety was compromised at any point. Controllers maintained full communication with pilots using alternate channels, ensuring safe operations even during the slowdown.
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The Delhi airport glitch serves as a reminder of how much global aviation relies on invisible systems working seamlessly in the background. From weather alerts to flight plan approvals, every piece of information passes through automated systems like AMSS — and when even one part stops functioning, the entire structure feels the impact.
As air traffic in India continues to grow rapidly, experts are urging aviation authorities to invest more in upgrading ATC systems, training staff for emergency manual operations, and building stronger disaster recovery mechanisms.
For passengers, the past 48 hours were a frustrating experience, marked by long waits, confusion, and delayed plans. For airport authorities, it was a lesson in resilience and the need for reliable technology in a world where even a few minutes of system failure can disrupt hundreds of flights.
The AAI has promised to conduct a complete technical review of the AMSS to prevent similar incidents in the future. With normal operations expected to resume fully soon, the episode underlines the crucial role of technology — and its occasional fragility — in keeping India’s skies moving safely and efficiently.
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