Flights Hit Again at Delhi Airport After ATC Glitch

Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport were once again disrupted on Friday morning after a technical glitch struck the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, leading to widespread delays of over 30 minutes across several flights.

Passengers aboard delayed flights reported being instructed to remain patient as technical teams worked to restore the system. “Operations are expected to return to normal soon,” Air India crew reportedly informed passengers. According to one traveller, their flight had been stationary on the runway for more than half an hour before being told that a “technical issue in the ATC system” was responsible for the delay.

The glitch temporarily affected both arrivals and departures, resulting in congestion at boarding gates and longer waiting times across terminals. So far, airlines have not issued official statements detailing the cause or extent of the disruption.

This incident marks the second major technical snag at Delhi Airport this week. Just two days earlier, authorities had announced that operations were “back to normal” following a similar system-related issue. On Wednesday, Delhi airport’s official social media account had posted an update assuring passengers that “all operations are back to normal” and advising them to contact airlines for flight-specific updates.

Earlier in the week, airport authorities had confirmed that several airlines faced disruptions in their check-in processes due to a technical glitch in a third-party connectivity network. “We are actively coordinating with all stakeholders to minimize delays and restore normal operations as quickly as possible,” the statement read, while apologising for the inconvenience caused to flyers.

Air India had also posted on X (formerly Twitter) at that time, confirming the disruption: “A third-party connectivity network issue had impacted check-in systems at some airports, thereby delaying flight departures of some airlines, including Air India. The system has since been restored. However, some of our flights may continue to be delayed as the situation normalises.”

The recurring glitches have sparked growing concerns among frequent flyers and industry observers over the resilience of aviation infrastructure, especially as the festive and tourist travel season picks up. Although Friday’s issue was resolved within a short duration, the repeated occurrences within a span of days have underscored the need for greater system reliability and contingency readiness in India’s busiest aviation hub.

Airport authorities are yet to issue a formal statement on Friday’s ATC malfunction, even as passengers continue to face residual delays while operations stabilise.