Delhi Airport News LIVE: Flyers brace for long waits as nearly 200 flights delayed amid ATC glitch

Around 200 departing flights at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport are facing delays following a computer glitch in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. The disruption began on Friday after the auto-track system – responsible for generating flight plans – malfunctioned, BBC quoted sources as saying.

“Hi, please note that flights are currently scheduled to depart on time. Any changes in the schedule will be notified to you via SMS and email,” and IndiGo support staff said in response to a passenger's query.

It is still unclear whether the glitch has been resolved.

Amid the flight delays at the Delhi airport, a passenger alleged that they were trapped inside an IndiGo flight for 40 minutes, presumably after boarding was completed.

A man, presumably an IIT aspirant, posted on X that he had missed his flight to attend an interview at IIT-BHU, and got into a heated altercation with Air India on social media.

“i am traveling in Flight AI-2495 connecting flight, with schedule department of 7:40am. And we are still on boarding its 9:01am, then whats the point of traveling. I am requesting to refund my amount, since I got delayed to appear in my interview. Refund me back (sic),” wrote the person, one Ashish Kumar Singh, on X.

When Air India responded that the delay was due to the ATC glitch, Singh hit back, “So you mean to say, ATC failure is my responsibility, And what about my scheduled interview at 9:30am in IIT BHU, can you tell IIT BHU that they reschedule my interview back, now its waste to go, i am already delayed. I sincerely request you to refund my amount. (sic)”

“Dear Mr. Singh, please know that the said flight is delayed due to technical issue with ATC system at the Delhi airport that falls outside the direct purview of an airline. The respective teams are working diligently to minimize the inconvenience caused. We seek your kind understanding in this regard,” was Air India's reply.

An individual stranded at the airport said that passengers were panicking, and that schedules would be ruined.

Air India replied to the post, saying, “Dear Sir, the flight is delayed due to technical issue with ATC system at the Delhi airport. Our teams on ground and crew are working diligently to minimize the inconvenience caused. Thank you for your understanding and patience.”

A post X by Helios Capital founder Samir Arora showed the boarding gate of Air India flight AI 1834 being changed multiple times.

“Airline has found a new way to keep one busy when flight is delayed,” wrote Arora.

Air India, Indigo, SpiceJet airlines on Friday, November 7, warned of delays and longer wait times as Delhi airport faced tech glitch, with at least 100 flights delayed in morning at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).

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“Flight operations at Delhi Airport are experiencing delays due to a technical issue in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), which supports Air Traffic Control data. Controllers are processing flight plans manually, leading to some delays. Technical teams are working to restore the system at the earliest. We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of all passengers and stakeholders,” the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said.

“Flight operations at Delhi Airport are currently affected due to a technical issue with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. This disruption is impacting flights across Delhi and several northern regions,” said SpiceJet in a statement.

“We sincerely regret the inconvenience this may cause. Our crew and ground teams are assisting passengers and working closely with the authorities to minimize the impact and resume normal operations as soon as possible,” the carrier added.

“We understand that extended wait times, both on the ground and onboard, may cause inconvenience, and we sincerely appreciate your patience,” an IndiGo statement said.

“Please be assured that our crew and ground teams are actively assisting and doing their best to make your wait as smooth as possible. For the latest updates on your flight, we encourage you to check our website,” the statement added.

“A technical issue with the ATC system in Delhi is impacting flight operations across all airlines, leading to delays and longer wait times at the airport and onboard aircraft. We regret the inconvenience caused by this unforeseen disruption, which is beyond our control, and appreciate your patience,” Air India said in a statement.

“Our cabin crew and on-ground staff at the airport are extending immediate assistance to reduce passenger inconvenience,” the statement added.

Over 100 flights were delayed at the Delhi airport on Friday morning due to technical problems with the air traffic control system. The authorities said they are working to fix the issues.

"Due to a technical issue with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, flight operations at IGIA are experiencing delays. Their team is actively working with all stakeholders including DIAL to resolve it at the earliest," said the Delhi airport in a statement.

Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi is the country's busiest airport, handling over 1,500 flight movements daily.

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