Air India server crash: Passengers stranded at Bangalore airport; four flights delayed, one cancelled

The delay was caused after Air India's server, run by aviation IT solutions firm SITA, shut down. Passengers who were unable to check-in for their flights were forced to wait at the airport for hours before operations were restored. As many as 155 flights in total are expected to be delayed for an average duration of two hours till 8.30 pm on Saturday.

As many as four flights to different destinations were delayed, and a flight to Mangalore was cancelled. (Express Photo)

Hundreds of passengers flying with Air India faced a difficult time at the Bangalore airport on Saturday morning after the company’s servers crash at 3.30 am. As many as four flights to different destinations were delayed, and a flight to Mangalore was cancelled.

The cancelled flight (AI 591) was scheduled to depart from the Kempegowda International Airport at 5.15 am.

Air India’s London-Heathrow flight (AI 177), which was scheduled to take-off at 3.50 am, faced a 40-minute delay and finally took flight only at 4.30 am.

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A flight to Mumbai (AI 604) was delayed by four hours and 20 minutes, while another to Delhi (AI 505) faced a 4-hour delay. Flight AI 772 to Kolkata faced a one-hour delay in departure.

Passenger services system of Air India that is run by SITA was taken for maintenance and after that it remained down till 8:45 am, it has just come back. System restored. During the day we will see consequential delays, CMD Ashwini Lohani said.

Explained | What caused Air India’s flight delays, why it will have a cascading impact

The delay was caused after Air India’s server, run by aviation IT solutions firm SITA, shut down. Passengers who were unable to check-in for their flights were forced to wait at the airport for hours before operations were restored.

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Several took to Twitter to express their displeasure. One user tweeted, “Waiting past one hour in luggage checking queue at Bangalore Airport for AI-640 (Bangalore – Mumbai). Air Indian personnel says server is down. But at airport it is reflecting flight is on time and few passengers are done with security and shows flight on time. Help.”

@airindiain Waiting past one hour in luggage checking queue at Bangalore Airport for AI -640(Bangalore – Mumbai). Air Indian personnel says server is down . But at Airport it is reflecting Flight is on time and few passengers are done with security and shows flight on time. Help

— MANORANJAN KUMAR (@manoranjankum) April 27, 2019

Another person said, “Pathetic service at Bangalore airport, server down since 2 hours no bloody assistance !! Shame on you!!”

@airindiain Pathetic service at Bangalore airport, server down since 2 hours no bloody assistance !! Shame on you!!

— alok bapat (@AlokRBapat) April 27, 2019

“Flight check-ins have been hit quite badly. My Air India flight to Bangalore was at 610 AM. Waiting at the airport since 5 AM. Still do not know when it will take off!,” a Bangalore-bound passenger from Delhi tweeted.

The glitch was restored at around 9 am. However, as many as 155 flights are expected to be delayed for an average duration of two hours till 8.30 pm on Saturday.

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