- By Chetna Shree
- Sat, 08 Nov 2025 09:49 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Delhi Airport Chaos: Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) have resumed to normalcy, after a technical glitch in its Air Traffic Control (ATC) system led to widespread delays and cancellations on Friday, November 7. An organisation of air traffic controllers said that the system failure incident, which occurred in Delhi on Friday, could possibly have been prevented.
The ATC Guild of India said that the air traffic controllers at the Delhi Airport had reported the system issue and the need for upgrades to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in July, but their recommendations were allegedly not acted upon.
The ATC Guild of India had warned in July that “existing systems, particularly at major airports such as Delhi and Mumbai, have shown performance issues, including slow response times and system lags, that could affect operational efficiency and compromise safety margins,” Times of India reported.
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Following the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260, the guild wrote to MPs on July 8, emphasising that “it is essential that the automation systems used in air navigation services are reviewed and upgraded periodically.”
The guild further emphasised that the system must be upgraded to meet international standards. In a letter, they wrote, “The existing Indian ATC systems lack many of the advanced, integrated capabilities that are now standard in modern air traffic management systems used by global counterparts like EUROCONTROL or the FAA.”
The ATC Guild of India stated that they have repeatedly flagged these critical security concerns with the AAI, but no concrete action has been taken so far.
What Happened At Delhi Airport?
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport faced major disruptions in flight operations on Friday after a technical glitch affected the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), which supports air traffic control and flight planning. The technical glitch led to a major service outage, affecting more than 800 domestic and international flights.
Delhi Airport operator DIAL confirmed that the flight operations have returned to normal since the afternoon and urged passengers to check with their respective airlines for real-time updates.
Indira Gandhi International Airport is the country’s busiest airport, managing more than 1,500 flights daily across its four runways.