Parliament Question: Failures of air traffic systems at major airports

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 198 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2nd February 2026 FAILURES OF AIR TRAFFIC SYSTEMS AT MAJOR AIRPORTS 198. SHRI MOHAMMED NADIMUL HAQUE Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) whether Government has received complaints from aviation engineers regarding use of outdated CNS (Communications, Navigation and Surveillance) infrastructure at Indira Gandhi International airport leading to large-scale delay of flights and disruptions; (b) the number of major system breakdowns, year-wise during the last five years, at country's busiest airports and reasons thereof; and (c) the corrective steps initiated in each case? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) to (c): As per existing policy, AAI adheres to a structured framework for the maintenance and upgradation of Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) systems following ICAO global standardized procedures for equipment lifecycle management encompassing routine maintenance, performance monitoring, and timely replacement or upgradation of systems On 06.11.2025, high latency in the processing and delivery of Air Traffic Service (ATS) messages to Air Traffic Management Automation System (ATMAS) was observed at Delhi International Airport, which led to delay in the delivery of Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN) messages including Flight Plan (FPL), issuance of mandatory Flight Information Centre (FIC) number and Air Defence Clearances. Airports Authority of India (AAI), in coordination with the technical support team, jointly analyzed the issue and restored the system on 08.11.2025. Existing core switches and database servers have been replaced with the upgraded versions. The system is now functioning normally. Further, Airports Authority of India (AAI) has undertaken the replacement of the existing IP-based Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) with the new Air Traffic Services Message Handling System (AMHS). ******