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What is AMSS? ATC system whose technical failure resulted in 800 flight delays in Delhi
Airports Authority of India said an issue was detected in the IP-based Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) of the ATC on November 6.
More than 800 flights were delayed and some cancelled at the Delhi airport on Friday after a technical issue in the air traffic control system. The system is “up and functional now”, according to the Airports Authority of India.
The state-owned AAI said the issue was detected in the IP-based Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) of the ATC on November 6.
The airport authority further stated that there might still be some delays in the normal functioning of airport and flight operations due to some backlogs, adding the situation would be normal soon.
See latest updates on Delhi airport flight delays here
Flight operations at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport were also impacted, according to data from Flightradar 24.
What is the AMMS?
The technical fault in the AMMS had resulted in an outage in the ATC system, following which controllers had to manually process each departure and arrival, thus resulting in delays.
The AMSS serves as a key communication link between the ATC and different airlines, and transmits thousands of messages regarding flight plans, weather updates and operational changes on a daily basis, Financial Express reported.
The AMSS facilitates the automatic transmission of flight plan data on aircraft movement in the air and on the runway, along with weather updates to the air traffic controllers’ screens.
The ATC is dependent on the systems, including the AMSS, to process flight plans, track aircraft movement and provide real-time data to the controllers, according to Financial Express.
When systems like the AMSS suffer outage, controllers have to follow manual procedures, like noting down flight details, calculating separations, and coordinating through voice communication. While these do help to ensure safety, they cannot be done at the same speed as the automatic system, thus resulting in significant delays.
Airports Authority of India says issue addressed, system functional
Providing an update on the situation, the AAI said the “technical issue in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), which caused delays in processing flight plan messages” had been addressed.
The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for the airlines, and additional staff deployed for the manual processing of flight plans for the ATC system “to ensure uninterrupted and safe air traffic operations immediately”, the AAI said.
“The AMSS systems are up and functional now. Due to some backlogs, there may be some delays in the normal functioning of automated operations, but the situation will be normal soon,” AAI said in a post on X , adding that a team of ECIL officials and AAI personnel were on the site.
AAI said that the issue had been detected on November 6, following which a review meeting was held by the Civil Aviation Secretary, along with the Chairman of AAI and others. It said necessary directions were given to address the issue.
