A major disruption unfolded at Delhi&rsquo;s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Friday after a technical glitch in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system stalled flight operations and left more than 100 flights delayed. The sudden breakdown triggered widespread inconvenience, with passengers stranded both inside aircraft and across crowded terminals.
Airport authorities issued an advisory on X, confirming that a &ldquo;technical issue in the ATC system&rdquo; had slowed operations significantly. Teams, they said, were working &ldquo;actively and urgently&rdquo; to resolve the problem. Travellers were urged to stay in touch with their respective airlines for real-time updates.
Major carriers, including Air India and IndiGo, also acknowledged the disruption. IndiGo said the ATC failure had impacted its schedules in Delhi as well as several northern sectors, forcing extended delays.
For many passengers, frustration mounted as aircraft remained stationary for long stretches. One flyer described being asked by the crew to &ldquo;remain patient until the technical issue is fixed,&rdquo; as uncertainty stretched on.
The ripple effect reached beyond the capital. At Ahmedabad&rsquo;s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, officials confirmed that 10&ndash;15 inbound flights from Delhi had been affected. Around 10 outbound flights from Ahmedabad to Delhi were also delayed due to ongoing manual operations at IGIA. More than 300 flights have been delayed.&nbsp;
This incident comes days after a separate third-party connectivity glitch disrupted check-in systems at Delhi airport, an issue that was quickly resolved. Friday&rsquo;s ATC failure, however, was unrelated and far more impactful, grounding operations on a massive scale.
Authorities said the restoration of full functionality is underway, with teams working continuously to stabilise the system and resume normal traffic flow.

ATC Glitch Disrupts Delhi Airport Operations

Several flights hit as passengers face long delays; restoration efforts underway

ATC Glitch Disrupts Delhi Airport Operations

Several flights hit as passengers face long delays; restoration efforts underway

November 7, 2025 | 16:21 IST