Flight operations across Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport experienced major disruptions on Saturday after a malfunction in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), a core component of Air Traffic Control (ATC) communication infrastructure, caused widespread delays. IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share, issued an advisory confirming that arrival and departure timings would be adjusted as the carrier worked to stabilise its operations and restore normal scheduling.

The AMSS glitch, which temporarily disrupted the flow of critical ATC data, affected not only IndiGo but multiple airlines operating in the northern region. With more than 100 flights delayed, passengers experienced considerable congestion inside terminals as airlines struggled to re-sequence departures and manage incoming flights. The Delhi airport operator later stated that the system had begun improving gradually, and airline operations were returning to normal.

In its public communication, IndiGo said its immediate priority was restoring internal systems and supporting passengers affected by the delays. The airline indicated that normal operations were expected to resume within a few hours, but fluctuations in take-off and landing timings would continue until air traffic stabilised. IndiGo urged passengers to monitor real-time flight information through its official channels and to allow additional travel time to reach the airport.

IndiGo stated that both the airport operator and ATC teams were working urgently to bring the affected systems back online. Ground staff were deployed across terminals to assist passengers with revised schedules, onward connections, and updated travel information. The airline acknowledged that the temporary outage had been resolved earlier in the day, enabling progressive restoration of operations at Delhi and other impacted northern airports. It expressed appreciation for the efforts of ATC authorities in resolving the technical fault.

The Delhi airport issued a passenger advisory at 06:36 hours noting that the AMSS was gradually recovering and that flight operations were stabilising. However, the airport cautioned that some residual delays and terminal congestion were expected as airlines adjusted to the backlog created by the outage.

Other carriers, including Air India and SpiceJet, also alerted passengers to potential delays arising from the malfunction, citing dependence on ATC’s data systems for aircraft movement. The disruption underscored the scale of impact that even a temporary failure of AMSS can have on aviation operations. The system plays a central role in disseminating flight plans, route data, and communication messages essential for coordinating both ground movements and airborne traffic within controlled airspace.

Air Traffic Control, a ground-based service responsible for guiding aircraft during all phases of movement, relies heavily on systems such as AMSS to maintain orderly and safe traffic flow. The glitch forced ATC to transition to manual or alternate communication measures, contributing to slower clearances and extended delays during the early hours of the day.

As departures and arrivals gradually resume their standard rhythm, airlines continue to work through accumulated delays. While the system is now functioning, passenger movement may remain slower than usual until congestion clears. IndiGo stated that it remains committed to assisting all affected travellers and ensuring that services return to full normalcy as quickly as possible.