Hundreds of flights across India were disrupted on Friday after a sudden system crash hit air traffic control operations. Now, air traffic controllers say the chaos could have been avoided, if the authorities had acted on warnings raised months ago.

Controllers had flagged system risks earlier 

The Air Traffic Controllers' Guild of India (ATC Guild) said it had warned the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as early as July about serious issues in its automation systems. In a letter sent to Members of Parliament on July 8, the Guild cautioned that key systems at major airports like Delhi and Mumbai were facing“performance degradation, slowness, and system lag.” The Guild had clearly said that such problems were not just about efficiency, but about safety margins, stressing that delayed responses in air navigation systems could have dangerous consequences. The letter called for immediate upgrades of automation systems to align with global safety standards followed by agencies like EUROCONTROL in Europe and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States. These standards include AI-enabled conflict detection and real-time data sharing to prevent mid-air risks.

Repeated warnings, no action 

According to the Guild, these warnings were not new. It said that the same concerns had been raised several times before with AAI's top management, but no effective action was taken.“India's automation systems must match global benchmarks. Despite repeated discussions, the issues remain unresolved,” said a Guild spokesperson, adding that controllers had“warned them months ago.” The Guild also noted that India's airspace has become much busier in recent years, and delays in upgrading systems increase the risk of technical failures and safety incidents.

System crash brings airports to a halt 

The Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) at Delhi Airport, which handles flight planning data for Air Traffic Control (ATC), suffered a major technical fault on Friday morning. The issue quickly affected flight operations at Mumbai and other major airports, as the AMSS supports flight plan communication across the country. Mumbai Airport said in an advisory that“flight operations have been affected by a technical issue impacting the AMSS at Delhi.” It added that authorities were“actively working to resolve the issue at the earliest” and advised passengers to check with airlines for updated schedules. As a temporary measure, air traffic controllers began processing flight plans manually, which caused further delays.

Airlines and passengers face delays 

Major airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet, issued alerts on social media platforms like X warning passengers about delays due to the ATC glitch. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) confirmed the disruption and said its technical teams were working 'round the clock' to restore the system. In a post, AAI said, "Flight operations at Delhi Airport are experiencing delays due to a technical issue in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS). Controllers are processing flight plans manually. We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of all passengers."

Air traffic controllers demand accountability 

The ATC Guild said the crisis was“avoidable” and urged the government to hold a review of automation systems across all Indian airports.“Air traffic safety depends on reliable technology. The AMSS failure shows why timely upgrades are essential. Controllers have raised this repeatedly, not only for efficiency but for the safety of millions of passengers,” the Guild added. Experts say that while manual processing is possible, it slows down every stage of flight approval, especially during peak hours, leading to widespread delays and cancellations.

AAI yet to confirm cause As of now, the AAI has not released a detailed report on what caused the crash. Sources say a hardware fault or software lag in the AMSS system is suspected. Authorities are conducting a technical review, but air traffic controllers say the incident is proof that“India's air navigation systems need urgent modernisation.”

A wake-up call for Indian aviation Friday's system crash is seen by many in the aviation sector as a wake-up call. While the AAI works to restore systems and normal flight operations, air traffic controllers are hoping this time their warnings will be heard.“It's not just about one glitch,” said an ATC official.“It's about ensuring the skies stay safe for everyone.”

(With ANI inputs)

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