The massive systems crash at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) this week, which disrupted hundreds of flights, has spotlighted persistent concerns over India’s ageing air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure. The incident has reignited calls for urgent technological upgrades and stronger redundancy mechanisms in the country’s aviation network.
Controllers had warned of system degradation months earlier
Months before the disruption, the Air Traffic Controllers’ Guild (India) had warned authorities about “performance degradation” in automation systems at major airports, including Delhi and Mumbai. In a letter sent in July 2025 to the government and aviation regulators, the Guild highlighted issues such as frequent system slowness and delays in data processing, calling for immediate upgrades to meet international standards.
The Guild’s communication emphasised that India’s air navigation systems lacked predictive tools, AI-based conflict detection, and real-time data sharing—features standard in the United States and Europe. “India’s systems must align with global benchmarks such as Eurocontrol and the FAA, which rely on advanced automation to ensure safety and efficiency,” the Guild cautioned.
The system that failed: AMSS at the centre of the crisis
The root cause of the crash was traced to the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) — a crucial digital backbone of India’s air traffic management. The AMSS handles the automatic routing of flight plans, weather updates, and coordination messages between pilots, radar units, and air traffic control towers.
When the system failed early on Friday morning, controllers had to revert to manual procedures — writing flight clearances by hand and relaying them via telephone. The manual process slowed operations drastically and increased the risk of human error.
According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which manages the AMSS, the problem began late Thursday and worsened around 5.45 a.m. on Friday. The outage caused over 800 flight delays and nearly 100 cancellations within a span of 15 hours. Engineers from the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) were eventually called in, and the system was restored by Friday night.
By Saturday, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) confirmed that operations had normalised, though airlines continued to adjust flight schedules to clear the backlog.
Ignored warnings and outdated infrastructure
The disruption mirrored warnings issued by both the ATC Guild and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture, which in July had flagged “significant performance degradation” in India’s ATC systems.
The committee observed that while India’s air traffic volume and airspace complexity had grown exponentially, technological upgrades had not kept pace. It further cautioned that outdated systems impose “enormous cognitive strain” on air traffic controllers, forcing them to perform tasks that are automated in other global aviation hubs.
The report called for a time-bound modernisation plan, a technical audit of existing systems, and the introduction of AI-driven conflict resolution mechanisms. “When both the human and the machine elements of a safety-critical system are under strain, the system’s overall resilience plummets,” it warned.
Government and DGCA seek detailed report
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) have demanded a comprehensive report from the AAI and its Air Navigation Services (ANS) wing. Preliminary findings suggest a mix of software and power-related issues contributed to the crash.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, who reviewed the situation at Delhi airport on Saturday, assured passengers that systems were now fully restored.
“Teams from AAI, ANS, and ECIL worked tirelessly to resolve the glitch while maintaining safety through manual coordination,” he said. “I have directed officials to conduct a detailed root-cause analysis and strengthen system redundancy to make our ATC network more resilient.”
The road ahead
Aviation experts say that while the immediate crisis has been resolved, the incident exposes deeper vulnerabilities in India’s aviation infrastructure. Modernising ATC automation, they argue, is no longer optional — it is essential to ensure safety and efficiency as the nation’s air traffic continues to surge