Software Glitch at Delhi Airport's Air Traffic Control System Caused Widespread Flight Disruptions

Around 800 flight delays were reported during the technical disruption at Delhi Airport in November.

New Delhi:

The civil aviation ministry has confirmed that a software-related disruption affected Air Traffic Control operations at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport in early November, causing widespread flight delays over a two-day period.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, responding to questions from several MPs, explained that high latency in processing and delivering Air Traffic Service messages was detected on November 6 at approximately 11 am.

The technical issue impacted the Air Traffic Management Automation System (ATMAS), causing delays in critical Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN) messages. These included essential flight plans, mandatory Flight Information Centre numbers, and Air Defence Clearances.

While initial reports indicated approximately 800 flight delays during the incident, the minister officially confirmed that 397 scheduled passenger departures between November 6 and 8 were delayed due to the system malfunction.

To prevent similar incidents in the future, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has begun implementing system upgrades. The existing IP-based Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) is being replaced with a new Air Traffic Services Message Handling System (AMHS) designed to improve operational reliability.

Regarding financial impacts, the minister noted that airlines typically incur additional expenses during any operational disruption, whether caused by adverse weather, congestion, or technical failures. As such, losses specifically attributable to this single incident cannot be precisely calculated.

The AAI has received instructions to conduct a comprehensive audit of all Communication, Navigation and Surveillance equipment across airports nationwide. This assessment will evaluate the condition, reliability, and lifecycle requirements of these critical systems.

Additionally, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) performed its own inspection of the AMSS system involved in the disruption. Following this review, the regulator has mandated the replacement of existing database servers with upgraded versions to strengthen system performance and resilience.