New Delhi: IndiGo, Air India, and Air India Express have warned of potential flight delays as they work to address a software issue affecting their Airbus A320 family aircraft. A total of 338 aircraft of the three carriers are affected due to this.

On Friday, Airbus announced that intense solar radiation may corrupt critical flight control data in several A320 family aircraft. Fixing the issue requires software updates and, in some cases, hardware adjustments, leading to operational disruptions. Globally, about 6,000 A320 aircraft may need similar upgrades.

In India, domestic carriers operate around 560 A320 family planes, with 200–250 requiring software updates or hardware realignment. This will necessitate temporary grounding, resulting in flight delays.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) instructed airlines to install serviceable Elevator Aileron Computers (ELAC) in affected aircraft. The ELAC is crucial for flight controls, and the directive must be implemented before the next flight.

IndiGo said it is working closely with Airbus to implement the required changes while trying to minimize disruptions. Air India Express noted that precautionary software fixes may lead to adjustments in operations, including possible delays or cancellations, affecting 31 of its A320 planes. Air India also confirmed that part of its A320 fleet will undergo software and hardware updates, leading to longer turnaround times.

IndiGo, in a tweet, said, “Safety comes first. Always. Airbus has issued a technical advisory for the global A320 fleet. We are proactively completing the mandated updates on our aircraft with full diligence and care, in line with all safety protocols. While we work through these precautionary updates, some flights may see some slight schedule changes. Our teams are here 24×7 to support you with rebooking, updates, and information. Please check your latest flight status on our app/website before heading to the airport. Thank you for your patience and trust on us.”

Air India, in a series of tweets, said, “We are aware of a directive from Airbus related to its A320 family aircraft currently in-service across airline operators. This will result in a software/hardware realignment on a part of our fleet, leading to longer turnaround time and delays to our scheduled operations.”

Adding that there are no cancellations due to the upgrade, Air India further said, “At Air India, safety is top priority. Following EASA and Airbus directives for a mandatory software and hardware realignment on A320 family aircraft worldwide, our engineers have been working round-the-clock to complete the task at the earliest. We have already completed the reset on over 40% of our aircraft that are impacted by this, and are confident of covering the entire fleet within the timeline prescribed by EASA. Air India can confirm that there have been no cancellations due to this task and there isn’t any major impact on schedule integrity across our network. However, some of our flights may be slightly delayed or rescheduled. Our colleagues on ground are there to assist the passengers.”

Air India Express also issued an update, stating, “We have initiated precautionary action following an alert requiring a software fix for Airbus A320s. While most of our aircraft are not impacted, this guidance applies to operators worldwide, leading to delays or cancellations. Please ensure your contact details are updated and check your latest flight status on our website, chatbot or mobile app. We regret the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.”

Meanwhile, India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has grounded all Airbus A320 family aircraft until mandatory software or hardware upgrades are completed.

According to data submitted by the airlines to the DGCA:

• IndiGo: 200 aircraft are affected, with upgrades completed on 143 planes. Updates are being carried out at Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata.
• Air India: 113 aircraft are affected, with 43 completed upgrades at Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Chennai.
• Air India Express: 25 aircraft are affected, with 4 having undergone software updates. The airline reported that 8 flights were delayed due to upgrades at Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai.

All three airlines informed the DGCA that the necessary upgrades will be completed by 5:29 IST on November 30.

The A320 family includes A319s, A320ceos and neos, and A321ceos and neos. Airbus said the issue was identified after an A320 experienced an uncommanded pitch-down event, which preliminary analysis linked to a malfunctioning ELAC. While the autopilot remained engaged and the flight was largely uneventful, Airbus stressed that without correction, the issue could cause uncommanded elevator movements, potentially exceeding the aircraft’s structural limits.

Airbus apologized for the inconvenience and said it is working closely with operators to ensure safety remains the top priority. DehsGujarat