Technical Glitch Disrupts Flights at Delhi and Mumbai Airports, Passengers Face Delays

Flight operations at several major Indian airports, including Delhi and Mumbai, were disrupted on Thursday morning following a technical glitch in a key airline processing system. The outage caused delays, congestion at check-in counters, and inconvenience for hundreds of passengers during peak travel hours.

The disruption was linked to Navitaire, a technology platform widely used by airlines for reservations, check-ins, and boarding processes. When the system malfunctioned, airlines were forced to process passenger details manually, leading to long queues and slower operations.

Early Morning Disruption at Delhi Airport

The issue surfaced at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi around 6:45 AM. During the outage, airline staff managed check-ins manually, which significantly slowed down passenger processing during the busy morning rush.

The system was restored gradually, with some airline services resuming earlier than others. According to sources, certain carriers were able to restore operations within minutes, while full system functionality returned after nearly two hours.

Mumbai Airport Also Affected

A similar situation unfolded at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai. Passengers reported delays, crowded check-in counters, and confusion as airlines struggled to handle check-ins without automated systems.

Both airports are among India’s busiest aviation hubs, making even short disruptions highly impactful for travellers.

Airlines Impacted by the Outage

Multiple airlines experienced operational delays due to the system failure, including IndiGo, Akasa Air, and Air India Express. Flights experienced delays as boarding processes slowed and passenger verification took longer than usual.

Navitaire is a critical digital infrastructure platform used by several airlines worldwide. Any failure in the system can halt essential processes such as check-in, boarding, and passenger data verification.

Impact on Passengers and Operations

Passengers faced long waiting times and congestion at terminals, particularly during the morning travel peak. Although the outage was resolved within hours, the ripple effect of delays continued to impact flight schedules.

Delhi airport handles more than 1,500 flight movements daily, while Mumbai airport manages approximately 1,000. Given this volume, even brief technical issues can cause widespread disruption across multiple flights and airlines.

Reminder of Previous Aviation Disruptions

The incident revived memories of a major disruption in November last year when an Air Traffic Control technical issue at Delhi airport delayed more than 800 flights. Thursday’s outage again highlighted how critical digital infrastructure is to modern aviation operations.

While systems were restored and operations resumed, the disruption underscores the need for robust backup mechanisms and contingency planning to minimise inconvenience to passengers.