A significant technical malfunction in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, one of the world’s busiest, caused widespread flight disruptions over two days. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) confirmed the system was restored late Friday, but warned that normal operations would take time due to a massive backlog. The glitch, which began Thursday evening, delayed over 200 flights, including international carriers like ITA Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Airlines such as IndiGo and SpiceJet saw their shares drop by 2% and 1%, respectively, as they warned passengers of ongoing disruptions. The AMSS, crucial for generating flight plans, forced air traffic controllers to manually process plans, significantly slowing operations. Delhi Airport, handling 78 million passengers in 2024, ranks as the ninth busiest globally. The incident follows a recent ransomware attack on European airports, highlighting vulnerabilities in aviation infrastructure.
