Flights delayed at Delhi airport due to technical glitch in ATC system

New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS) Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport were affected on Friday morning due to a technical glitch in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, leading to delays of more than 30 minutes on several flights, according to a passenger on board an Air India flight.

Passengers on board delayed flights were requested to remain patient as technical teams worked to resolve the issue.

“Operations are expected to return to normal soon,” Air India crew informed travellers. A passenger on board informed IANS that the flight had been waiting on the runway for over half an hour, and that the crew had cited a technical issue with the ATC system as the cause of the delay.

The glitch reportedly impacted both arrivals and departures for a brief period, causing congestion at boarding gates.

No official update has been provided by the airlines so far.

This comes just two days after the airport authorities had announced that operations had returned to normal following a similar technical issue earlier in the week.

On Wednesday, the Delhi airport had posted an update stating, “Be aware that all operations are back to normal, and passengers can proceed with their travel plans as usual. We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this time. Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight updates.”

Earlier in the week, the airport had acknowledged that a few airlines were facing disruptions in their check-in processes due to a technical glitch. “We are actively coordinating with all stakeholders to minimize delays and restore normal operations as quickly as possible,” the statement read. “Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines and plan their timings for check-in and other formalities. We regret the inconvenience caused to our flyers.”

Air India had also posted an update on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, saying, “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 for some time as the situation normalises progressively.”

--IANS

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