Delhi airport flight delays: IT ministry official rules out cyber attack

The official, who did not wish to be named, said a technical glitch in the course of upgrading the Air Traffic Control (ATC) software caused the delays

As flight delays continued at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), an information technology (IT) ministry official said that the disruptions were not due to a cyber attack.

The Delhi International Airport Limited said flight operations were disrupted due to an ongoing technical issue. (PTI)

The official, who did not wish to be named, said a technical glitch in the course of upgrading the Air Traffic Control (ATC) software caused the delays. “There is supposed to be an automatic updation of flight plans, which stopped functioning. It is not a cyber attack,” said the official.

Follow all the latest updates on Delhi Airport flight status

People aware of the matter said the IT ministry checked on Friday morning to rule out a cyber attack. The civil aviation ministry authoritatively informed it that it was not, they added.

The IGIA is the country’s busiest airport, handling over 1,500 flights daily. According to flight-tracking portal Flightradar24, 513 flights were delayed on Thursday.

The Delhi International Airport Limited said flight operations were disrupted due to an ongoing technical issue with the Automatic Message Switching System that supports the ATC flight planning process.

“All airline operations at Delhi Airport are currently delayed. Concerned authorities are working on resolving the issue at the earliest. Passengers are requested to follow updates from their airlines regarding revised schedules.” A previous advisory said that the matter was being addressed on priority.