Operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport were severely disrupted after a technical glitch in the air traffic management (ATM) system led to widespread flight delays on Friday. Over 200 flights were affected, causing chaos for passengers and disrupting schedules across domestic and international routes.
According to officials, the system malfunction occurred early in the morning, impacting communication between air traffic controllers and aircraft. As a safety measure, departures and arrivals were temporarily halted, resulting in a massive backlog of flights waiting for clearance.
Engineers from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and system specialists were immediately deployed to identify and fix the fault. The issue was reportedly resolved after several hours, but flight operations continued to face residual delays throughout the day.
Passengers took to social media to express frustration over the lack of timely updates, with some reporting being stuck onboard planes for over an hour. Airport authorities later issued a statement apologizing for the inconvenience and assured that normal operations had resumed gradually.
A senior AAI official confirmed that no safety incidents occurred during the glitch, emphasizing that standard safety protocols were followed to ensure smooth coordination between pilots and ground control.
Aviation experts said the incident highlights the need for upgraded backup systems and better coordination to handle such technical disruptions in one of the world’s busiest airports.
The Delhi airport, which handles over 1,400 flights daily, is India’s largest aviation hub and a key transit point for international travelers. The temporary glitch not only delayed flights in India but also affected connecting schedules in cities such as Dubai, London, and Singapore.
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