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.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code