British national escapes from IGI airport immigration area, manhunt underway

According to official sources, the incident took place on October 28, when the passenger, identified as Fitz Patrick, a British citizen holding passport number 55819**, arrived in New Delhi aboard Air India flight AI 333 from Bangkok.

A senior police officer told ANI that a case had been registered in the matter, and the concerned airline staff had been questioned.

Teams were formed to trace the person, and they are working based on technical and human intelligence.

During the immigration clearance process, the passenger allegedly evaded security personnel and managed to exit the restricted area without completing the mandatory formalities.

Authorities suspect he may have slipped out through an unsecured section of the arrival zone.

Meanwhile, at least 100 flights were delayed on Friday morning at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) due to a technical issue with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, according to Delhi Airport.

Passengers have been advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight updates.

In a post on X, Delhi Airport shared, "Due to a technical issue with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, flight operations at IGIA are experiencing delays. Their team is actively working with all stakeholders, including DIAL, to resolve it at the earliest."

"Passengers are advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest flight updates. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused," the post read.

Air traffic control (ATC) refers to a ground-based service in which controllers manage and guide the movement of aircraft both on the ground and within controlled airspace.

Several airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet, later issued advisories alerting passengers to possible delays due to disruptions in flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital. (ANI)