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Explained: Why flights are running late at Delhi's IGI airport today
IGI airport is India’s busiest airport that handles over 1,500 flight movements daily.
Operations at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport were hit on Friday morning with over 150 flight departures being delayed due to technical snag in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system.
Follow live updates on the delays at Delhi's IGI airport here.
IGI airport is India’s busiest airport that handles over 1,500 flight movements daily. According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, 513 flights were delayed on Thursday alone and 171 delayed since morning.
What caused the delays at IGI airport?
Following the delays, Airports Authority of India (AAI) said the delays were caused by 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,” AAI spokesperson said.
Delhi airport operator DIAL also confirmed that delays were due to a technical issue with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system.
Friday morning departure flight delays, according to the website, were up to 53 minutes, with an upward trend of increase.
“The issue began on Thursday afternoon at around 3pm. It has not allowed the ATCOs (air traffic controllers) from receiving flight plans automatically on their screens,” one of the officials privy to the matter told HT.com, adding that controllers are now preparing flight plans manually using available data, a process that is slowing down operations.
“Such a glitch is uncommon and has not happened earlier. Since each task before a flight departure is being done manually. There is chaos at Delhi ATC currently”, another official told HT.com.
Airlines announce delay in flights
Flight operators IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet and Akasa Air issued travel advisory to the passengers owing to the delays at the Delhi airport due to a technical issue with the air traffic control system.
"Flight operations at #Delhi Airport are currently experiencing delays due to a technical issue with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. As a result, flight operations at Delhi and several northern regions are impacted," IndiGo said.
Air India said 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.
SpiceJet said the disruption is impacting flights across Delhi and several northern regions.
According to Akasa Air, the technical issue with ATC system at the Delhi airport may lead to longer wait times at the airport and delays for some of our flights.
