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More than 300 flights were delayed at Delhi Airport on Friday. Due to a technical glitch in the airport's air traffic control system, air traffic controllers (ATC) were unable to receive flight schedules.
Media reports indicate that the ATC's Automatic Message Switch System (AMSS) malfunctioned. It provides information on flight schedules, including takeoffs and landings. ATC officials are manually preparing flight schedules based on existing data.
The impact of flight delays at Delhi Airport was felt at other airports as well. Flights to and from Delhi were also delayed. The Delhi Airport Authority has not yet provided any information on when the situation will return to normal.
Image of Delhi's skyline on a flight tracking portal
The flight route tracking portal, 'Flight Aware', has graphically displayed the locations of planes hovering over Delhi. Several flights can be seen circling in the same area.
According to news agency PTI, the technical glitch at the airport had been occurring since Thursday evening. According to flight tracking website Flightradar24.com, 513 flights were delayed on Thursday.
The impact of flight delays, in 4 points
Passengers are upset: Check-in, waiting at the gate, boarding delays, and the risk of missing a connection flight increases.
Operations affected: Delhi Airport handles more than 1,500 flights daily. This has caused delays in airline and airport operations.
Impact on other airports: In addition to Delhi, airports like Bettiah, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Chandigarh have also been affected.
Upcoming flight delays: Delayed flights impact the schedule of upcoming flights, leading to delays.
Learn what the Automatic Message Switching System is.
AMSS (Automatic Message Switching System) is a computer network system connected to the air traffic control service. Thousands of text-based messages are sent in real-time to pilots, ground staff, and other airports every day through AMSS.
What do these messages contain?
Each flight's complete route, altitude, fuel information, etc.
When the flight took off
When the flight landed
Notification of a flight delay
Plan changes or cancellations
Weather updates
Airspace warnings
How does it work? The airline or pilot submits a flight plan. The AMSS checks that data and transmits it to the appropriate authority (ATC, other airports, the relevant airline). If the route or weather changes, the system immediately sends updates to everyone. This keeps the entire air traffic system in sync.
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What happens if the AMSS fails?
If the system fails, as happened in Delhi—
Automatic messages stopped: Flight plans, route clearances, and updates have to be processed manually.
Workload on ATC: Every message or approval now has to be sent manually.
Delays and congestion: When flight plans take time to be approved, takeoffs and landings slow down. This increases congestion at the airport.
Security risks: The lack of automatic coordination increases the likelihood of human error.
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