New Delhi: A significant technical glitch at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi on Friday left thousands of passengers stranded, disrupted flight schedules, and triggered frustration across domestic and international travel networks. The disruption, caused by a malfunction in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) that feeds critical flight plan data to the Air Traffic Control’s Auto Track System (ATS), led to extensive delays, leaving many travelers uncertain about their journeys.

According to Flight Radar24, a live flight tracker, by 1 pm on Friday, 313 departing flights and 118 arriving flightshad been impacted, with some delays stretching beyond 12 hours. Major airlines including Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air reported operational slowdowns, which compounded passenger anxiety. The issue, which began around 3 pm on Thursday, forced air traffic controllers to prepare flight plans manually, a time-consuming process that further slowed flight movements and caused congestion at the airport.

The situation left passengers grappling with uncertainty, disrupted travel plans, and additional expenses. Mahinder Pal, 55, traveled from Amritsar with his son and three friends who were scheduled to depart for Dubai to begin work. “My son and three others from our village are flying to Dubai for their jobs. The flight was supposed to leave at 4 pm, but now we’ve been told it will depart only at 10 am tomorrow,” Pal said, seated outside the terminal. Unsure of how to manage the overnight delay, he expressed concern about the consequences for his son’s first day at work.

Travelers accompanying Pal also faced logistical difficulties. Ranvir Singh, 34, who had come to drop off a cousin, said, “We were supposed to take the train back to Amritsar today, but now we can’t. We can’t leave the children waiting alone, and the food at the airport is expensive. We’ve been starving since 8 am.” The early hours of the disruption had left many families scrambling for meals and accommodations inside the airport.

Other passengers reported similar frustration. Jal, a 25-year-old student from Rajasthan, was waiting to receive a friend arriving from Saudi Arabia. “The flight was supposed to land at 1:35 pm, but there’s no clarity on its arrival. We were also supposed to catch a train home today, which we will now miss. Who bears the losses?” he lamented, reflecting the cascading impact of the delays on onward travel plans.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) confirmed that the disruption stemmed from the malfunction of the AMSS system, which is crucial for automatically updating flight plans on air traffic controllers’ screens. AAI issued a statement noting, “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.”

An official familiar with the situation explained to HT that the glitch was unprecedented. “Since the ATCOs (air traffic controllers) have not received flight plans automatically on their screens, they are now preparing plans manually using available data. This slows down operations significantly and contributes to congestion,” he said. Another official clarified that the issue was technical in nature and ruled out the possibility of a cyberattack. A representative from the IT Ministryalso confirmed that the disruption occurred during the automatic update process of flight plans and was not caused by external interference.

The delay caused visible distress among passengers waiting at the airport. Many took to social media platforms such as X and Facebook to voice their frustration. One passenger wrote, “It is a nightmare to be sitting in an aircraft for two hours due to massive signal failure. Ninety flights are queued up, and there is no clarity on departure times. There could be failures, but why can’t passengers be informed before boarding?” Actor and musician Daniel Weber tweeted, “Hello @DelhiAirport, how about allowing flights to get to the parking gate? We are sitting on the runway for 30 minutes with no gate. Seems like a basic thing you can manage!”

For some travelers, even minor delays caused anxiety due to the lack of information. Kaman Bansal, 28, en route to the UAE, said, “Though my flight has been delayed only by an hour, I am waiting to hear if there’s any further delay. As of now, there’s no new information.” Others, like Gautam Kocher, 55, who was waiting for his daughter’s flight, were more philosophical. “I don’t mind waiting. I heard some flights are delayed by six to eight hours, so I’m lucky that this is just a short delay. But there’s no space to sit here. The airport should make adequate arrangements for passengers on such days,” he said, pointing to the infrastructural challenges of managing stranded travelers during unexpected disruptions.

Airport operations at IGI, one of India’s busiest hubs handling more than 1,500 flights daily, were significantly affected. Manual processing of flight plans not only delayed departures but also complicated arrivals, leading to longer waiting periods for passengers and crew. The disruption highlighted the critical dependence of modern air traffic control systems on automated technology and the vulnerability of operations when such systems fail.

Airline companies issued advisories, requesting passengers to stay updated with revised flight schedules and to allow additional time for check-in. Despite the efforts of airlines and airport authorities, passengers continued to face overcrowding at boarding gates, long queues at information desks, and uncertainty regarding onward travel connections.

As the technical teams worked to restore normal functioning, officials stressed that passenger safety remained the top priority. Meanwhile, travelers continued to share their experiences online, emphasizing the need for improved contingency planning and better communication mechanisms during such unexpected disruptions.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the challenges inherent in operating one of India’s largest airports and the cascading effects of technical glitches on the lives of ordinary travelers. While the situation gradually stabilized by the evening, it underscored the importance of robust back-up systems and proactive communication to mitigate passenger inconvenience in similar future events.