Normal flight operations restored at Delhi Airport? — Latest updates before you travel to IGI

The airport authority, however, advised passengers to remain in contact with their respective airlines for the latest updates regarding flight schedules.

Are Delhi flights still being delayed?

As per Bloomberg, flights arriving at Delhi Airport on Friday (November 7) faced an average delay of around 50 minutes, while departures were delayed by nearly an hour, according to data from flight tracking service Flightradar24.

By Saturday morning (November 8), the airport reported that operations had largely stabilised.

“All concerned authorities are working diligently to minimise any inconvenience caused,” Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said in a statement, adding that normal operations had resumed by noon.

At 11:56 am on Saturday, authorities announced that normal operations were restored at IGI Airport.

"All flight operations are normal at Delhi Airport.....Passengers are advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest flight updates," Delhi Airport posted on its official X handle.

Reason behind flight disruptions

The delays were triggered by a technical issue in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), a key component of the ATC’s communication and coordination network.

The glitch, which began late Thursday evening, prevented automatic processing of flight plan messages, forcing air traffic controllers to manage flight plans manually.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) explained on X (formerly Twitter) that while the system was being restored, additional staff were deployed to manually handle flight data.

However, this manual operation required wider spacing between departing aircraft, resulting in inefficient airspace utilisation and subsequent flight delays.

Timeline of events at IGI Airport

Thursday evening: The technical issue in the ATC’s Automatic Message Switching System first surfaced, disrupting automated communication between air traffic controllers and aircraft.

Friday, 8:30 am: Delhi airport issued an advisory confirming delays in flight operations and said teams were working closely with DIAL and other stakeholders to resolve the glitch.

10:00 am: The Airports Authority of India confirmed that flight plans were being processed manually and assured passengers that technical teams were working to restore the system.

11:20 am: DIAL reiterated that the issue was being addressed on priority, with close coordination between ATC, AAI, and other partners.

12:00 pm: IndiGo issued its own advisory acknowledging delays across all airlines operating at Delhi Airport and several airports in northern India. The airline urged passengers to check their flight status online and arrive earlier than usual.

1:30 pm: Authorities stated that flight operations continued to face delays while efforts to fix the glitch were underway.

11:00 pm: DIAL reported significant improvement in flight operations and assured passengers that authorities were working to minimise inconvenience.

Saturday, 6:40 am: The Delhi airport issued another update confirming that technical issues had been gradually resolved and all operations were back to normal.

IGI Airport’s appeal to passengers

Throughout the disruption, the Delhi airport and airline operators repeatedly advised passengers to stay connected with their respective airlines for real-time flight information.

“Passengers are advised to stay in touch with their airlines for the latest flight updates,” Delhi airport reiterated in its latest statement, adding that teams worked round the clock to restore normalcy as soon as possible.