Network outage disrupts Mumbai Airport operations, causes widespread flight delays

August 9, 2025

Mumbai: Flight operations at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport were disrupted on Friday evening after a major network outage affected check-in systems across multiple airlines, leading to significant departure delays.

The disruption began around 4:15 pm, when a third-party data network failure took down the airport’s passenger processing systems. Airlines, including Air India, were forced to switch to manual check-in and baggage handling, slowing operations considerably.

Airport authorities confirmed that contingency procedures were activated to manage passenger flow. “Our technical teams worked with service providers to restore connectivity, and operations resumed at approximately 5:30 pm. However, delays are expected to continue until schedules are fully stabilised,” an official said.

Air India issued a travel advisory on X (formerly Twitter), urging passengers to verify flight timings before heading to the airport. “Systems are now functional, but residual delays may persist as normalcy is gradually restored,” the airline stated.

Flight tracking service Flightradar24 reported average departure delays of 30–45 minutes, with some flights facing longer hold-ups. Passengers at the airport reported non-functional Wi-Fi and server downtime, compounding the inconvenience.

The outage particularly impacted evening peak-hour departures, creating a backlog as boarding and baggage procedures took longer without automated systems. Queues at check-in counters stretched longer than usual, with staff manually verifying tickets and passenger IDs.

Officials stressed that safety was not compromised during the outage, but urged passengers to arrive early for their flights until operations are fully streamlined.

The incident highlights the vulnerability of critical airport operations to technology failures, especially when dependent on third-party networks. Authorities are reviewing the cause of the outage and considering additional safeguards to prevent a recurrence.

As of late evening, flights were departing, but with residual delays expected to continue into the night.

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