Network glitch disrupts flights across India

Dhaka: A third-party system failure disrupted check-in operations at several airports across India on Monday (Dec 1), delaying both domestic and international flights and prompting Air India to issue a travel advisory. 

The airline urged passengers to check their flight status before travelling and to arrive at airports earlier than usual.

Air India said airport teams were working to restore services but warned that delays could continue as operations normalise. 

Reports said a connectivity issue with a third-party network provider caused digital check-in counters and kiosks to go offline, forcing airlines to process passengers manually.

The outage affected multiple carriers and comes after similar glitches in recent months. 

In early November, a previous failure at Delhi and other airports also triggered long queues, longer wait times at check-in desks and delays across several flights.

Analysts say the latest incident underscores the vulnerability of airlines and airports that rely heavily on outsourced IT systems. 

Industry observers have called for stronger redundancy measures and backup procedures for critical functions such as check-in, boarding and baggage handling.

Airport authorities and airlines are expected to review their third-party network dependencies and strengthen resilience to prevent future disruptions.

-B