Why was there a tech glitch at Delhi airport?, Pg15

Key Highlights:

• On November 6, 2025, a technical glitch in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) disrupted air traffic operations at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.
• The disruption lasted over 24 hours, affecting over 500 flights and causing several cancellations.
• The Civil Aviation Ministry has directed the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to upgrade the system.
• In 2024, IGI Airport ranked ninth globally in terms of total passengers, handling 77.8 million passengers.
• A parliamentary report highlighted performance degradation in existing automation systems at high-density airports like Delhi and Mumbai.

Detailed Insights:

• The AMSS is a critical communication backbone for air traffic operations, handling aeronautical messages like flight plans, weather updates, and coordination between Air Traffic Control (ATC) and airlines.
• The disruption forced Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) to manually manage over 2,500 daily aircraft movements.
• Delhi's AMSS, supplied by a Spanish organization, uses an older server architecture with legacy message-switching software, making it prone to failures due to database overload or synchronization issues.
• A parliamentary report noted that Indian ATC systems lack advanced capabilities compared to global counterparts like Eurocontrol or the FAA, increasing the risk of human error.
• Europe's Air Traffic Management (ATM) system faces similar challenges with outdated systems and fragmented communication protocols, necessitating resilient, cloud-based, and AI-driven coordination tools.
• The AAI is undertaking initiatives to upgrade air traffic and air navigation management, including installing a new pan-India AMHS and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast ground stations.

Key Concepts Involved:

• AMSS (Automatic Message Switching System): A core communication system for air traffic operations that automatically handles aeronautical messages.
• ATC (Air Traffic Control): A service provided to promote the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic.
• NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions): A notice containing information essential to personnel concerned with flight operations but not known far enough in advance to be publicized by other means.