Over 100 Flights Delayed at Delhi Airport After Major ATC System Glitch Disrupts Operations
Over 100 Flights Delayed at Delhi Airport After Major ATC System Glitch Disrupts Operations
New Delhi, November 7, 2025 — Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) were severely affected on Friday after a major technical glitch hit the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, leading to widespread delays in departures and arrivals.
According to Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the disruption began on Thursday evening and continued into Friday morning, forcing air traffic controllers to manually process flight plans. More than 100 flights were delayed as officials worked to restore normal operations.
“Due to a technical issue with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, flight operations at IGIA are experiencing delays. The ATC team is actively working with DIAL and other stakeholders to resolve it at the earliest,” Delhi Airport said in a post on X.
Sources indicated that the problem originated in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), which supplies crucial data to the Auto Track System (AMS) used for flight planning. With the automated system down, controllers were compelled to enter data manually — a time-consuming process that led to congestion and delays averaging nearly 50 minutes, as reported by flight-tracking website Flightradar24.
The Delhi airport, which handles over 1,500 flight movements daily, witnessed significant operational slowdowns. Passengers have been advised to contact their respective airlines for real-time updates on departures and arrivals.
Airlines including IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Air India issued advisories acknowledging the impact. IndiGo said that operations at Delhi and several northern airports were affected, while Air India confirmed that the technical issue was causing delays across all airlines.
SpiceJet also cautioned travellers that “departures, arrivals, and consequential flights might be affected due to ATC congestion.”
DIAL and the ATC department are working jointly to restore full automation and minimize further delays. Airport authorities have apologized for the inconvenience caused to passengers and urged them to check flight status updates before heading to the airport.
