Mumbai Airport Grinds to a Halt: Delays Up to 2 Hours Due to Radar System Malfunction
Mumbai, 15th March 2024: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) recently highlighted an issue concerning Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, where air travellers experienced delays of up to 2 hours due to malfunctions in the air traffic radar automation system.
According to officials, the system encountered difficulties from 3 pm to 5:15 pm, disrupting air traffic flow. However, they assured that normal operations would resume shortly as aircraft awaiting departure gradually cleared.
This incident underscores a recurring problem with the automation system at Mumbai Airport, which has been plagued by various glitches and failures in recent times. Last year, the Air Traffic Controllers Guild raised concerns about the system’s outdated infrastructure in a letter to the Airports Authority of India and MoCA.
Reportedly, the current automation system, now over 18 years old, has faced more than 70 subsystem issues as of June 2022. The letter emphasized that the hardware exceeded its expected lifespan of 10 years and was designed to accommodate air traffic conditions from over two decades ago. Since then, air traffic has substantially increased, necessitating updates to match the evolving airspace structure and demands.
