Delhi Airport Hit by Major ATC Glitch, 100+ Flights Delayed

A significant disruption occurred at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday morning, leading to widespread flight delays due to a technical glitch in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. This unexpected breakdown affected flight operations across all terminals, resulting in over 100 delayed flights and long waiting hours for passengers.

According to airport authorities, the technical issue arose early in the morning, causing delays in flight clearances and on-ground coordination. In an official advisory, IGI Airport stated that the ATC team, along with Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), was working urgently to resolve the issue. Authorities expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to the thousands of passengers expected to travel during the busy morning hours.

Airlines promptly began issuing messages urging passengers to check the latest flight status before heading to the airport. The national carrier, Air India, reported that the glitch led to extended wait times both on the ground and inside aircraft. The airline assured that cabin crew and ground teams were assisting passengers to minimize their inconvenience.

Budget airlines such as IndiGo and SpiceJet also reported widespread delays, not only in Delhi but across several northern states, as the disruption affected the entire network. IndiGo provided an online update stating that passengers should expect extended wait times due to the ATC issue and requested their patience as the situation was being resolved.

This incident followed a similar disruption the previous evening, when a temporary server outage in the ATC system delayed at least 20 flights. Although that issue was resolved quickly, Friday’s glitch had a more significant impact because it occurred during peak operational hours.

Delhi Airport, which handles nearly 1,550 flight movements daily, has faced pressure over the past week due to suspected GPS spoofing incidents affecting aircraft navigation systems. These spoofed signals, which provide inaccurate location data to aircraft, have caused confusion in flight routes and forced multiple flights to divert, contributing to air traffic congestion. For example, a Delhi-bound flight from Vienna was recently diverted to Dubai due to spoofed GPS signals. Aviation experts warn that spoofing is becoming a growing global threat, now impacting even non-conflict regions.

While Friday’s disruption was caused by a technical glitch rather than GPS interference, these back-to-back issues underscore the need for enhanced digital security and system reliability at India’s busiest airport.

Airport authorities state that normal operations are expected to resume soon, and they advise passengers to stay in continuous contact with their airlines for updates.