Passengers at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar faced significant inconvenience late on Monday night after a technical glitch in the immigration system disrupted routine processing, leading to long queues and temporary chaos. The malfunction, which occurred around 10 pm, slowed immigration clearance and passenger processing, resulting in lengthy waiting times for travelers.
Chaos and Panic at the Airport
As the backlog grew, large queues formed at immigration counters, causing confusion and frustration among passengers. Several travelers expressed concerns about missing their flights, while others complained about the delays. The situation escalated to the point where passengers panicked, and videos showing people arguing with staff surfaced on social media, highlighting the severity of the disruption.
Swift Response by Airport Authorities
Airport authorities, however, stated that they moved swiftly to address the issue. Technical teams were deployed immediately to rectify the fault, and efforts were made to manage passenger movement and restore normal operations. Airport Director Bhupinder Singh confirmed that a technical problem in the immigration system caused the disruption. He noted that the issue persisted until 12:20 am but was fully resolved thereafter.
“There were around 500 passengers on four flights. We opened some extra counters and directed passengers to manage the situation,” Singh said. He added that the system was restored and operations returned to normal soon afterward.
Measures to Prevent Future Incidents
The airport director further clarified that all services are now functioning smoothly and passengers are no longer facing any difficulties. Authorities have also initiated measures to strengthen monitoring of critical systems and improve technical safeguards to prevent similar incidents in the future. Airport officials stated that all senior staff, along with technical teams, started restoration work without delay and assured that such a situation would not be repeated.
