Context:
-
On November 6, 2025, a major technical failure disrupted air traffic operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport, India’s busiest aviation hub.
-
The incident has triggered concerns over outdated air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure, system resilience, and aviation safety governance.
Key Highlights:
Nature of the Glitch
-
The disruption occurred in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), a critical backbone for ATC communications.
-
Impact:
-
Disruption lasted over 24 hours
-
500+ flights affected, including delays and cancellations
-
Significant passenger inconvenience at a globally high-traffic airport
-
Operational Impact
-
Due to AMSS failure:
-
Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) were forced to manually manage over 2,500 aircraft movements per day
-
Increased workload raised concerns about fatigue and human error
-
-
The incident exposed the fragility of manual fall-back mechanisms at high-density airports.
Why the System Failed
-
Delhi’s AMSS:
-
Supplied by a Spanish technology provider
-
Runs on legacy server architecture
-
Uses older message-switching software
-
-
Vulnerabilities include:
-
Database overload
-
Synchronisation failures
-
Limited scalability under peak traffic loads
-
Governance & Oversight Issues
-
A parliamentary report had earlier flagged:
-
Performance degradation in ATC automation systems
-
Higher risks at congested airports like Delhi and Mumbai
-
-
Compared to global benchmarks:
-
Indian ATC systems lag behind platforms used by Eurocontrol and the FAA
-
Limited automation increases reliance on human intervention
-
Global Context
-
Even Europe’s Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems face:
-
Fragmentation
-
Legacy infrastructure constraints
-
-
The trend globally is towards:
-
Cloud-based systems
-
AI-driven traffic coordination
-
High-redundancy digital communication frameworks
-
Government Response
-
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has:
-
Directed the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to upgrade ATC systems
-
-
Ongoing initiatives include:
-
Deployment of a pan-India Air Traffic Management message-handling system
-
Installation of Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) ground stations
-
-
Objective:
-
Improve situational awareness
-
Enhance safety and operational efficiency
-
Strategic Significance
-
IGI Airport handled 77.8 million passengers in 2024, ranking ninth globally.
-
Any systemic failure at such hubs has:
-
National economic implications
-
International reputational costs
-
-
Reinforces the need for:
-
Proactive infrastructure modernisation
-
Continuous technology audits
-
UPSC Relevance (GS-wise):
GS 3 – Science & Technology
-
Aviation technology and automation
-
Digital infrastructure resilience
-
Role of AI and advanced systems in safety-critical sectors
GS 2 – Governance
-
Infrastructure governance and regulatory oversight
-
Parliamentary scrutiny and executive accountability
Prelims Focus:
-
Functions of AAI
-
AMSS and ADS-B systems
-
India’s ranking in global air traffic
Mains Enrichment:
-
Analyse how legacy digital infrastructure can become a safety risk in high-growth sectors.
-
Discuss reforms needed to ensure technological resilience in critical national infrastructure.