Flight operations across several major Indian airports came to a standstill earlier today after a massive technical glitch hit the check-in systems used by multiple airlines. The issue, which began early in the morning, caused long queues, delayed flights, and heavy congestion, especially at Hyderabad airport, where hundreds of passengers were stuck for hours.
What Happened
According to airport officials and passengers, the glitch occurred in the centralized check-in system managed by a major service provider that handles operations for a number of domestic and international airlines. The system reportedly went down suddenly around 7:30 a.m., affecting the check-in counters and self-service kiosks simultaneously.
Because of the outage, airport staff had to switch to manual check-in procedures — a time-consuming process in busy morning hours. As a result, flight schedules were significantly delayed, and scores of passengers missed their flights.
While the issue was not limited to one airport, Hyderabad airport turned into one of the worst affected due to a high number of flight movements during peak morning hours.
Scenes from Hyderabad Airport
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. Long queues snaked across terminal areas as passengers tried to check in manually. Many travelers took to social media to share photos and videos of crowded departure halls, expressing frustration over the delays and lack of communication from airline staff.
Some passengers reported waiting for over two hours just to reach the counters. Others said that boarding gates were overcrowded, as multiple flights overlapped in departure timings due to cascading delays.
Taxi and cab services around the airport also got affected. Due to unexpected flight delays, several incoming passengers canceled pick-ups or postponed schedules, causing heavy traffic congestion on roads leading to the terminal.
Airlines Confirm the Issue
Multiple airlines, including both low-cost and full-service carriers, confirmed that their systems were impacted by the outage.
An official statement from one major airline said, “Due to a temporary glitch in the common check-in system, our operations were affected at several Indian airports. We regret the inconvenience caused to passengers and are working with our service partner to resolve the issue at the earliest.”
By late morning, the airline said that the system had been restored gradually, and normal operations were resuming. However, airlines also warned passengers that residual delays could continue for a few more hours.
Passengers Express Frustration
Many travelers voiced their displeasure on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), tagging airlines and airport authorities. Some called for better communication channels and faster resolution mechanisms.
A passenger traveling from Hyderabad to Delhi said, “There was no proper announcement for over an hour. Everyone was confused whether the flight was canceled or delayed. The staff were struggling to process boarding manually. It was complete chaos.”
Another passenger shared that airline staff remained polite and cooperative but clearly overwhelmed by the large numbers of affected travelers.
Impact on Other Airports
Reports suggest that airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai also experienced slowdowns during the glitch period. However, the severity of the impact varied based on the volume of morning flights at each location.
In many cities, staff managed to shift to alternate systems or delayed flights by 30 to 60 minutes until the central check-in network came back online. International flights were largely unaffected, though some connecting passengers faced delays while transferring between domestic and international terminals.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation were informed about the disruption early on. Technical teams from the service provider and concerned airlines worked jointly to identify and fix the underlying issue.
Technical Teams Work on Restoration
Sources indicated that the glitch might have been caused by a temporary failure of the cloud-based system that connects airline check-in counters to the central database. Backup protocols were activated, but the switch reportedly took longer than expected due to high network traffic during morning peak hours.
By noon, most airports had partially restored digital check-in systems, and operations started to improve gradually. Airline officials said they would analyze the incident further to prevent similar disruptions in the future.
Authorities Issue Advisory
Following the incident, airport authorities advised passengers with upcoming flights to check the latest status from their airlines before heading to the airport. Passengers were also requested to arrive early to allow sufficient time for security checks and boarding during the gradual restoration phase.
A spokesperson for Hyderabad International Airport said, “Our teams are actively coordinating with airlines and technical partners to restore normalcy. We understand the inconvenience caused to passengers and appreciate their patience.”
Looking Ahead
Experts believe this episode highlights the vulnerability of highly digitized systems that airports depend on for running daily operations. While automation and centralized check-in solutions have improved efficiency, they also create single points of failure when a technical glitch occurs.
Aviation analysts have urged both airlines and system providers to adopt stronger backup networks, localized contingency plans, and faster fallback systems to keep critical airport functions running smoothly during such outages.
