Global IT Outage Disrupts Airport Check-In in India — Travel Delays Highlight Risks for Tourism Surge

Published on December 3, 2025

Wide-Ranging Check-In Glitch Throws Indian Air Travel into Disarray — What It Means for Travellers & Tourism

On the morning of December 3, 2025, airports across India experienced a sudden and widespread disruption in their check-in systems. The glitch, traced back to a global outage of a major IT service provider, forced airlines to suspend automated check-in and boarding — shifting to manual processes instead. The result: long queues, delayed departures, and uncertainty for travellers. With domestic tourism bouncing back strongly, the breakdown exposed vulnerabilities in airport infrastructure — and sparked concerns for the broader travel and tourism ecosystem.

What happened — the cause and the immediate fallout

• A global service outage affecting major IT infrastructure reportedly disrupted the software systems responsible for check-in and boarding across multiple Indian airports.
• As a result, automated check-in kiosks and boarding-pass printers failed — leading to a shift to manual check-in. Airlines such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, Akasa Air, and Air India Express were among those impacted.
• The disruption led to multiple flight delays, as processing times lengthened significantly when staff had to handle everything manually.
• In some cases, flights were delayed by over an hour; at one airport, as many as 58 departures were reported delayed.

Airport operators and airlines scrambled to manage the chaos: ground teams were mobilized, and travellers were asked to check flight status before heading to airports.

Who was affected — airlines, airports, passengers

• The problem spanned multiple major airlines — not just one — indicating a systemic, industry-wide impact.
• Affected airports included major hubs across different states; the outage was not limited to a single region.
• Passengers experienced long wait times, uncertainty over departure, and — in some cases — missed flights or forced rescheduling. While most airlines eventually restored operations, the sudden breakdown disrupted itineraries — especially for travellers on tight connections or tight travel schedules.

Airlines have since confirmed that the system problem was resolved and said all flights were returning to normal schedules.

Why it matters — bigger implications for travel and tourism

While the outage was temporary, the disruption underlines several deeper challenges — especially relevant to India’s rapidly growing domestic travel and tourism sector:

1. Fragility of digital infrastructure

Airports and airlines increasingly rely on automated, digital systems — from check-in kiosks to baggage handling and boarding. When these systems fail, the entire flow of passenger movement collapses, revealing a single point of failure.

2. Risk to traveller confidence and convenience

For many travellers — especially tourists, seniors, or those travelling with families — long queues and last-minute uncertainty can sour the travel experience. In a sector where convenience and predictability matter, such breakdowns may erode trust.

3. Impact on peak travel — holiday seasons, festivals, tourism cycles

India’s travel volumes surge during holidays, festive periods, and vacations. A disruption during such peak times can cause cascading delays, missed connections, and logistical headaches — affecting not just individual travellers but also hotel bookings, tour plans, and broader tourism flows.

4. Economic cost for airlines, airports, and tourism stakeholders

Delays and cancellations mean extra cost for airlines (rebooking, compensations), airports (managing overload, crowd control), and travel-related businesses (hotels, tour operators). For a country investing in boosting domestic travel and tourism, reliability matters.

Where — the spread across airports and regions

The outage was not localized: check-in glitches were reported across multiple airports — from major international hubs to smaller regional airports. Airlines confirmed that check-in systems at “various airports” were impacted.

At one airport, up to 58 flights were delayed — showing that the impact extended beyond just a handful of flights.

In a statement, the operator at one airport (cited as DIAL) said on-ground teams were working with all stakeholders “to ensure a seamless and efficient passenger experience.”

When — timeline of events

• The outage occurred on the morning of December 3, 2025, disrupting check-in systems across airports.
• Airlines promptly switched to manual check-in and boarding.
• Over the next several hours, flights were delayed, ground staff handled increased manual workload, and airlines urged passengers to verify flight status before departure.
• By late night (or early next day), systems had been restored: several airlines — including Air India — confirmed normalcy had returned, and operations resumed.

How it was handled — recovery and customer communication

• Upon detecting the outage, airlines and airports immediately switched to manual check-in and boarding to minimise flight cancellations.
• Airlines used social media and official channels to alert passengers — advising them to check flight status, reach airports early, and allow for extra processing time.
• Ground staff worked overtime to manage queues, issue manual boarding passes, and assist passengers — helping to mitigate worst-case scenarios of mass cancellations.
• Within a few hours, the service disruption was resolved — airlines confirmed that check-in systems were back online and flights were scheduled to operate normally.

What it means for future travel and tourism — lessons and calls for resilience

This incident is a sharp reminder: as travel — both domestic and international — rebounds, the supporting infrastructure must be robust enough to handle high demand and unexpected disruptions. For stakeholders in tourism — from airlines to hotels to tour operators — it underscores the importance of contingency planning.

• Reliability matters more than ever: Frequent travellers expect seamless digital check-ins and smooth experiences. Sudden outages shake trust.
• Backup systems are crucial: Manual check-in proved a useful fallback, but it’s slower, resource-heavy, and not ideal for high-volume travel days. Airports may need to upgrade redundant systems or hybrid manual-digital solutions.
• Communication is key: Effective and timely communication can prevent panic, manage expectations, and salvage traveller confidence. Airlines that handled communication better likely avoided the worst-case passenger frustration.
• Impact on the tourism ecosystem: Delays ripple through, affecting not just the flight but also reservations, holiday plans, and domestic travel itineraries. For places dependent on smooth tourist flow, such disruptions can mean economic loss.

turning flight chaos into a wake-up call for sustainable travel

The December 3 check-in system outage in India was more than just a tech glitch — it was a stress test for the resilience of the country’s aviation and travel infrastructure. For thousands of travellers, it meant uncertainty, annoyance, and disrupted plans. For the broader tourism and travel industry, it highlighted an urgent need: to blend digital convenience with robust fallback mechanisms.

As India continues to push for greater connectivity and aims to become a leading travel destination — both for domestic and international tourists — ensuring reliability in airport operations isn’t just an operational necessity; it’s a cornerstone of building trust, encouraging tourism, and supporting the travel economy.

The hope is that this glitch serves not as a deterrent, but as a catalyst: prompting investment, system upgrades, and stronger contingency protocols, so that travel remains a joy, not a gamble.