Delhi ATC To Get System Upgrade After Major Glitch
AVIATION & AIRPORTS

Delhi ATC To Get System Upgrade After Major Glitch

Days after a significant system glitch delayed more than 900 flights at Indira Gandhi International Airport, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is set to upgrade its computer systems at Delhi’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) by January next year — well ahead of the original mid-2026 timeline.

According to an official familiar with the development, the new Aeronautical Message Handling System (AMHS) has already been installed and is currently undergoing commissioning. The system is expected to be ready for full operation in two months. Air traffic controllers are now being trained, and the AMHS will run in parallel with the existing platform for a short transition period before fully taking over.

In the meantime, AAI has carried out emergency hardware upgrades after both the primary and backup server units collapsed due to a single-point failure on 6 November. The upgrades include new primary and secondary servers and a completely new switch.

Another official noted that although the impact on flights was contained within hours, full system recovery was completed only last week by the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL). The cause of the glitch is still being investigated.

The existing Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), commissioned in 2017, relies on a common switch to feed real-time data to both primary and backup servers. When the main server failed, operations shifted to the backup, but full control could not be restored because both depended on the same switch. Standalone controls had to be reinstalled onsite to stabilise the system.

Officials said the temporary safeguards now in place ensure that the backup can operate independently, preventing a repeat of the disruption witnessed earlier this month. While system glitches are not unusual in ATC infrastructure, this was the first incident that took over 24 hours to fully resolve, prompting concerns over the nature of the failure.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu reviewed the situation at Delhi ATC on 7 November and directed that a detailed root-cause analysis be conducted to avoid future occurrences.

Days after a significant system glitch delayed more than 900 flights at Indira Gandhi International Airport, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is set to upgrade its computer systems at Delhi’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) by January next year — well ahead of the original mid-2026 timeline. According to an official familiar with the development, the new Aeronautical Message Handling System (AMHS) has already been installed and is currently undergoing commissioning. The system is expected to be ready for full operation in two months. Air traffic controllers are now being trained, and the AMHS will run in parallel with the existing platform for a short transition period before fully taking over. In the meantime, AAI has carried out emergency hardware upgrades after both the primary and backup server units collapsed due to a single-point failure on 6 November. The upgrades include new primary and secondary servers and a completely new switch. Another official noted that although the impact on flights was contained within hours, full system recovery was completed only last week by the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL). The cause of the glitch is still being investigated. The existing Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), commissioned in 2017, relies on a common switch to feed real-time data to both primary and backup servers. When the main server failed, operations shifted to the backup, but full control could not be restored because both depended on the same switch. Standalone controls had to be reinstalled onsite to stabilise the system. Officials said the temporary safeguards now in place ensure that the backup can operate independently, preventing a repeat of the disruption witnessed earlier this month. While system glitches are not unusual in ATC infrastructure, this was the first incident that took over 24 hours to fully resolve, prompting concerns over the nature of the failure. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu reviewed the situation at Delhi ATC on 7 November and directed that a detailed root-cause analysis be conducted to avoid future occurrences.

Next Story
Real Estate

LML Realty Launches Cinema Campaign on Industrial Vision

LML Realty has launched a cinema advertising campaign in partnership with PVR INOX across 81 screens in Gurugram and Faridabad, showcasing the brand’s transformation from a mobility icon to an industrial infrastructure developer.The campaign features a cinematic brand film tracing LML’s journey since 1972, beginning with its iconic scooters and highlighting its evolution into creating infrastructure solutions that support India’s manufacturing growth.The film focuses on LML Industrial Park at Jhirka Valley, the company’s flagship industrial development approved under the Haryana Govern..

Next Story
Real Estate

IIM Ahmedabad Publishes Case Study on HoABL’s Business Model

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has published a case study on The House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL), examining the company’s digital-first consumer journey and business model that created India’s branded land category.Titled “HoABL: Ready for Scaling Up”, the case study has been published by the IIMA Case Centre and co-authored by Sourav Borah, Associate Professor of Marketing at IIMA, and Dr Aparna Kansal of IMT Ghaziabad. IIMA case studies are used across management and executive education programmes to help students and business leaders analyse strategic decision..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Advait Energy and MEIL Partner for Energy Transition Projects

Advait Energy Transitions Limited (AETL) and Manipal Energy Infratech Limited (MEIL), a company of The Manipal Group, have entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on power and energy transition opportunities across India and international markets.The partnership aims to combine AETL’s expertise in innovative energy technologies and manufacturing with MEIL’s EPC execution capabilities and project management experience. The collaboration will focus on opportunities across Power Transmission & Distribution, Renewable Energy, Battery Energy Storage Systems..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement