Air India flights hits by check-in software snag across network for 6 hours

Air India’s operations across the world were affected for over five hours this morning because of a problem in the airline’s main server.

“The SITA server is down due to which flight operation is affected. Our technical teams are on work and soon system may be recovered. Inconvenience is deeply regretted. The system was restored at about 9 am (IST),” an Air India spokesperson said after the restoration of the airline’s system, which was down for over five hours.

The airline further reported that 155 flights will be delayed for an average duration of two hours till 8.30 pm today.

“The system has been restored. It has begun functioning. We regret the inconvenience that passengers had to face. We are trying to regularise all the flights for the day. But there would be some delay of flights today. I am expecting a delay of around two hours. Because in morning, the whole system got disturbed,” Air India chairman Ashwani Lohani was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

A similar incident took place on June 23 last year when a technical glitch in the airline’s check-in software delayed 25 of its flights across India.

Air India’s software solution is managed by SITA, a global airlines IT services major, which provides its check-in, boarding and baggage tracking technology.

“We have now fully restored services at all airports where Air India were affected. Our priority remains, as always, to ensure a stable system where customers can conduct business efficiently and effectively, and we are undertaking a full investigation to understand the root cause and prevent a recurrence,” SITA said in a statement to PTI.