Air travel chaos continues: Major Microsoft glitch delays check-ins at multiple airports; IndiGo, SpiceJet disrupted

Flight operations at several airports were thrown off schedule on Wednesday morning after check-in systems suddenly stopped working. Airlines had to switch to manual check-ins, which slowed down the process and delayed many flights. A source told PTI that the outage hit airport check-in systems at multiple airports at the same time. The source added that the problem has already caused delays across several routes.

At Varanasi airport, passengers heard an announcement saying, “Microsoft Windows reports major service outages globally. IT services and check-in systems at airports are impacted.” The announcement also informed travellers that staff had moved to manual check-in and boarding until the systems were restored.

Airlines such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, Akasa Air and Air India(BHARAT) Express were among those affected, according to information shared at the airport. Neither Microsoft nor the airlines released any immediate statements about the issue.

Chaos at Hyderabad airport

The system issue also led to confusion and heavy crowds at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. A video from the terminal showed a long line of frustrated passengers surrounding an airline helpdesk on Wednesday morning, trying to find out what was happening with their flights.

Many travellers were seen holding out their tickets and phones, speaking loudly, and repeatedly asking staff for updates as the delays continued.

#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana | Chaos erupts at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport after delay in flights due to operational issues. pic.twitter.com/5sQ6BqhmiT

— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2025

DIAL says facing technical and operational problems

However, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) acknowledged the technical problems on social media. DIAL said that some domestic airlines are facing technical and operational problems, which could cause delays or changes in flight schedules. The airport added that its staff is working closely with all airline teams to help passengers and keep things running smoothly.

Passenger Advisory issued at 07:40 Hours#DelhiAirport #PassengerAdvisory #DELAdvisory pic.twitter.com/iUVUW2iJDE

— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) December 3, 2025

Right now, it is still not known how many flights or airports have been affected, as full details have not been shared yet.

Earlier, Air India(BHARAT) posted a message saying that its services were disrupted because of an issue in a third-party check-in system. A few hours later, the airline informed passengers that the problem had been fixed and everything was back to normal.

Air India(BHARAT) also wrote on X that the system is now working completely fine, check-ins at all airports are running normally, and all flights are operating on time. The airline thanked passengers for their patience.

FlightRadar24 data showed that departure delays at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport suddenly jumped to Level 4, indicating major disruptions and a large number of delayed or cancelled flights after the glitch was first reported.

Before the system returned to normal, Air India(BHARAT) had warned passengers that some delays could still continue. The airline said its airport staff were working hard to help travellers and keep the check-in process smooth. It also noted that while the system was slowly coming back to normal, a few flights might still be affected until everything fully settles. Air India(BHARAT) advised passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.