<h1>Major airport AMSS technical failure forced 15-hour manual flight processing, delaying 800+ flights; liability, compliance, vendor responsibility questioned</h1> An operational disruption occurred at a major international airport after a technical failure in the Automated Message Switching System (AMSS) forced air traffic controllers to process flight plans manually for over 15 hours, causing delays to more than 800 flights and some cancellations. The airport operator and the national aviation authority engaged the equipment manufacturer and deployed extra staff; the AMSS was restored and operations returned to normal, though backlog-related delays persisted. Legal issues potentially implicated include carrier and airport liability for delays/cancellations, regulatory compliance and reporting obligations, vendor/service-level responsibility, and potential administrative or enforcement action by aviation regulators.