All flights halted at Kathmandu international Airport in Nepal due to runway light glitch

All incoming and outgoing flights at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Nepal have been temporarily halted following a technical glitch in the runway lights, airport officials confirmed. The disruption has affected both international and domestic flights, causing delays and cancellations. Airport authorities are currently assessing the issue and working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.

In its statement to news agency ANI, Renji Sherpa, spokesperson for the TIA said, “Problem has been reported in the airfield lighting system of the runway. At least five flights are on hold as of now. All arrival and departure flights, domestic and international, have been delayed. The problem was detected at 5:30 PM (Local Time)."

Over 300 flights delayed at Delhi airport 

This comes a day after nearly 300 flights were delayed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) dur to technical issues with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system.

The Delhi airport advisory urged passengers to stay in touch with airlines for the latest updates. 

“Due to a technical issue with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, flight operations at IGIA are experiencing delays. Our team is actively working with all stakeholders including DIAL to resolve it at the earliest. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused,” the airport said in a statement.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) said that delays are due to a technical problem in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), which supports ATC data. “Controllers are processing flight plans manually, leading to delays. Technical teams are working to restore the system as soon as possible. We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of passengers and stakeholders,” the AAI added.

Delhi’s IGIA, the country’s busiest airport handling over 1,500 flight movements daily, has been affected since Thursday evening. The AMSS system, which provides flight plan data to the Auto Track System (AMS), malfunctioned, forcing controllers to prepare flight plans manually. This time-consuming process caused more than 100 flight delays on Friday morning, with average departure delays of around 50 minutes, according to Flightradar24.com.

What is AMSS and what is its use in flight operations?

The AMSS is a core communication and data management system used in airports to support Air Traffic Control operations. It receives, processes and distributes flight-related messages such as flight plans, weather reports and aircraft movement notifications. These messages are shared between airlines, airport authorities, air traffic controllers and other aviation networks. The system ensures that all relevant teams have access to accurate and updated information in real time.

At airports, AMSS helps maintain smooth and organised air traffic by automatically updating flight plans and routing important messages to the correct destinations. When AMSS functions properly, it reduces manual workload for air traffic controllers and lowers the chances of error in busy airspace environments. However, if AMSS faces a technical glitch, these processes may need to be handled manually, which slows down communication and can lead to flight delays and operational disruption.