Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) were disrupted on Friday morning after a technical glitch affected the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, delaying at least 100 flights, officials said, reported news agency ANI.
In a post on X, Delhi Airport said, “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 all stakeholders, including DIAL, to resolve the issue at the earliest.”
The airport also advised passengers to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest flight updates and apologised for the inconvenience caused.
According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the disruption occurred in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), a critical component that supports ATC data and communication.
“Controllers are processing flight plans manually, leading to some delays. Technical teams are working to restore the system at the earliest,” AAI said in an X post, adding that efforts were underway to bring the system back online.
The glitch forced air traffic controllers to manually handle flight plans, leading to cascading delays across arrivals and departures during the morning rush hour.
While operations gradually resumed after temporary restoration measures, officials said full normalisation could take some time.
Several airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet on Friday issued advisories alerting passengers about possible delays following disruptions in flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Air India has rolled out a new “Flexi Contract for Pilots,” allowing flight crew to opt for shorter duty patterns to improve work-life balance while maintaining operational efficiency.
Under the new model, eligible pilots on A320, B777, and A350 fleets can choose between two schedules — 15 days on/15 days off for wide-body aircraft, and 20 days on/10 days off for narrow-body aircraft. The one-year contract, extendable at the company’s discretion, offers proportional annual leave and maintains pilots’ existing pay scales.
Air India said selections will be made through an Expression of Interest process based on seniority and operational requirements.
(With inputs from ANI)