A recent system crash at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, which led to significant flight disruptions, follows months of warnings from air traffic controllers. The Air Traffic Controllers’ Guild of India had previously alerted aviation authorities in July about a decline in the performance of the country’s automation systems, noting recurrent processing lags at major airports like Delhi and Mumbai.
The Guild’s official communication highlighted the gap between current Indian systems and international standards, citing Eurocontrol and FAA as examples of best practices. These benchmarks include advanced predictive analytics, AI-powered conflict resolution, and immediate data sharing capabilities, all of which were deemed essential for India.
Following the glitch, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation visited the Delhi ATC operations to assess the situation firsthand. Instructions were given to initiate a detailed root-cause analysis and strengthen system redundancy to prevent future occurrences. The minister acknowledged the tireless efforts of AAI, ANS, and ECIL teams in resolving the issue and restoring normal operations while ensuring passenger safety was maintained through manual coordination.
