New Delhi: Recent disruptions at Delhi’s IGI Airport—caused by the failure of the Air Traffic Control’s Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS)—led to large-scale flight delays and cancellations, exposing critical gaps in India’s aviation communication infrastructure. In response, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has accelerated efforts to replace the decade-old AMSS with the far more advanced Aeronautical Message Handling System (AMHS).
According to senior officials, nationwide transition to AMHS is expected to be completed by March next year, with trial operations scheduled to begin in February 2026. Once implemented, passenger flights across India will operate using the new, globally adopted system.
AMSS to AMHS: A Major Technological Upgrade
Sources in the Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed that preparations are underway for a full migration from AMSS to AMHS across the Indian passenger aviation network. The deadline for this transition has been set for March 2026.
Currently, several major aviation hubs—including the United States and many European countries—already rely on AMH-based systems for managing passenger air traffic. India had initiated partial installation earlier, but final approval and full-scale implementation were pending until the recent ATC system crash highlighted the urgency.
System Crash Triggered Nationwide Review
On 6 and 7 November, the AMSS at Delhi Airport malfunctioned, causing massive operational setbacks. NBT had exclusively reported the issue on 10 November, highlighting how India’s air traffic has more than doubled in the last decade, yet the outdated AMSS was still in use.
Following the incident, both the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Airport Authority of India (AAI) initiated a fast-track plan to roll out the AMHS across major airports.
Delhi & Mumbai to Pilot the New System
An aviation official revealed that AMHS will first be deployed at Delhi and Mumbai airports. Mumbai will host the master server, while Delhi will have a parallel backup server. This two-city backbone will ensure uninterrupted air traffic management.
If one server fails, the other will immediately take over, preventing communication breakdowns and ensuring smooth flight operations.
Once stabilized, the AMHS will replace AMSS across all ATC units in the country.
Trials in February, Nationwide Rollout by March 2026
Trials are scheduled to begin in February 2026, following which the system will be fully operational nationwide by mid-March 2026.
The move is expected to significantly reduce the chances of large-scale flight delays and cancellations caused by system failures—bringing India’s aviation communication infrastructure in line with global standards.
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