Air India passengers across the country faced significant travel disruptions on Tuesday evening after a major system failure crippled check-in operations. The airline confirmed that a third-party technical outage led to widespread delays across its network, causing long queues and extended processing times at multiple airports.
Technical Snag Causes Widespread Chaos
In an official statement posted on the social media platform X, the national carrier informed passengers about the severe disruption. The airline clarified that the problem originated from a third-party system disruption, which directly impacted its check-in and processing capabilities. Airport teams were immediately deployed and were "working diligently to ensure a smooth check-in experience" for affected travellers, the statement read.
Despite these efforts, the airline warned that flight schedules would remain affected until the systems were completely restored. Air India advised all travellers to check the real-time status of their flights on the airline's official website before leaving for the airport. It also urged passengers to allocate extra time for their journey to accommodate the slower processing.
Flights Running Behind Schedule
Data from the global flight tracking service, Flightradar24, painted a clear picture of the disruption, showing numerous Air India flights operating heavily behind schedule. The impact was felt on both domestic and international routes. Key late-evening departures from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport were among the hardest hit.
Some of the affected routes from Mumbai included flights to:
- Hyderabad
- Doha
- Kochi
- Dubai
The airline acknowledged that while systems were being progressively stabilised, a full return to normal operations would take some time. Notably, Air India did not release a formal media statement beyond its social media communication on X.
Passenger Advisory and Next Steps
For passengers caught in the turmoil, the primary guidance remains to verify flight information online and plan for extended airport processing times. The incident underscores the vulnerability of airline operations to technical glitches in an increasingly digital ecosystem. As Air India works to fully resolve the system disruption, passengers are left navigating the uncertainty, a reminder of the cascading effects such outages can have on modern air travel.
