Delhi airport ATC glitch causes delays in Jaipur; Mumbai retracts advisory
Flight disruptions spread beyond Delhi as technical glitch in Air Traffic Control system affects multiple airports; Mumbai later withdraws its passenger advisory citing "human error"
Hours after a major Air Traffic Control (ATC) system failure led to the cancellation of over 500 flights at the Delhi Airport, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai on Friday (November 7) issued an advisory informing passengers about the impact of the disruption.
Mumbai airport retracts advisory
“Flight Operations at Mumbai Airport have been affected by a technical issue impacting the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) at Delhi, which supports Air Traffic Control flight planning. The concerned authorities are actively working to resolve the issue at the earliest,” the Mumbai Airport stated in a now-deleted post on X.
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“As a result, airline operations may experience delays. Passengers are advised to connect with their respective airlines for updates on flight status and revised schedules. We regret the inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience and cooperation,” added the post as quoted by Mint.
Later, the Mumbai airport authorities issued a clarification stating that the passenger advisory had been withdrawn, calling it “a human error”. They said that flight operations at the airport remained smooth.
Flight delay at Jaipur airport
According to a report by News 18, the ATC glitch at Delhi Airport also caused flight delays at Jaipur Airport, delaying at least 15 flights.
“Flight Operations at Jaipur International Airport have been affected by a technical issue impacting the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) at Delhi, which supports Air Traffic Control flight planning. The concerned authorities are actively working to resolve the issue at the earliest,” stated the passenger advisory issued by Jaipur Airport.
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“As a result, airline operations may experience delays. Passengers are advised to connect with their respective airlines for updates on flight status and revised schedules. We regret the inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience and cooperation,” it added.
What happened at Delhi airport?
Meanwhile, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said technical teams are working to fix the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), which handles crucial air traffic control (ATC) data. Passengers were urged to check flight updates before arriving at the airport. Airlines stated that their staff are assisting travellers to minimise disruptions, reported the Hindustan Times. ATC, operated from the ground, manages and guides aircraft movements on runways and in the airspace.
Earlier in the day, operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi were severely disrupted after a failure in its air-traffic control system. The glitch involved the automatic message-switching system (AMSS), which relays critical data for flight arrivals and departures, and forced controllers to handle traffic manually. As a result, over 500 flights were delayed and average departure waits rose to around 50-55 minutes, with some exceeding an hour.
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Significant congestion developed in terminals and on runways, and airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Akasa Air issued advisories urging passengers to check status before heading to the airport.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) warned that delays could persist through the day and across connected hubs.