IndiGo, Air India clarify no flight cancellations due to Airbus A320 software update — DGCA flags risks | What we know
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus flagged a potential solar radiation risk on November 29 that could disrupt critical data for flight control systems across its A320 fleet currently in service (about 6,000 aircraft), leading major airlines worldwide to undertake software updates for their aircraft, impacting services.
Airbus, which is part of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), said in a statement that it was proactively working with authorities to implement the necessary software and hardware protections to protect operations.
According to PTI sources, around 200-250 aircraft may be affected in India. The update first requires reverting to previous software, and planes must undergo this change before they are allowed to fly again, Reuters reported, citing an airline bulletin.
IndiGo and Air India say services are on track despite delays
In an official statement, an IndiGo spokesperson said the airline has undertaken all necessary inspections and updates for the A320 aircraft and no services have been canceled throughout the process.
“IndiGo carries out all necessary inspections and updates on its A320 family aircraft in full compliance with the directives issued by EASA and Airbus. Working in close collaboration with both organizations, a total of 200 of our aircraft have been identified for these checks,” the airline said.
“We are pleased to confirm that the necessary procedures on 160 aircraft have been completed by 12:00 IST, while the inspections on the remaining aircraft are progressing well and will be completed within the specified time. We would also like to confirm that no flights have been canceled as a result of these checks. However, a few flights may experience minimal delays,” the statement said.
Air India also made a similar statement, stating that flights will have longer turnaround times and delays due to software/hardware tweaking on some of the Airbus A320 fleet, and that the process has already been completed for more than 40% of the affected aircraft.
Air India said on
Tata-run low-cost carrier Air India Express also said that while most of its fleet was unaffected, global guidance would still result in delays and cancellations.
Akasa Air and SpiceJet do not have Airbus or A320s in their fleets.
What did DGCA say?
The General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) banned the use of more than one Airbus aircraft model with its own directive, due to concerns about the security risk posed by the company’s software update.
The DGCA added that the directive covers 338 jets, of which 56% (189 aircraft) had received the software upgrade by Saturday afternoon.
Airbus marked aircraft models are: A319-111, A319-112, A319-113, A319-114, A319-115, A319-131, A319-132, A319-133, A319-151N, A319-153N, A319-171N, A319-173N, A320-211, A320-212, A320-214, A320-215, A320-216, A320-231, A320-232, A320-233, A320-251N, A320-252N, A320-253N, A320-271N, A320-272N, A320-273N, A321-211, A321-212, A321-213, A321-231, A321-232, A321-251N, A321-252N, A321-253N, A321-251NX, A321-252NX, A321-253NX, A321-271N, A321-272N, A321-271NX and A321-272NX.
Potentially affected aircraft must complete software/hardware updates and complete mandatory inspection before being cleared to fly again, the official said. Therefore, airlines need to complete the process as quickly as possible to reduce disruptions.
Do passengers need to worry about safety?
The likelihood of security issues is very low as updates are proactively executed and addressed in real-time as soon as a potential risk is identified.
EASA said Airbus had asked airline operators to install a useful Elevator Flap Computer on affected aircraft. ELAC transmits sidestick commands to the rear elevators.
Notably, EASA’s compliance cutoff for Indian carriers is 5.30 am on 30 November. All aircraft must receive the required ELAC upgrade or remain grounded until the modification is completed and approved. In particular, delays are expected to decrease by the deadline, as domestic airlines have reported that the process is nearing completion.
(With input from institutions)
