IndiGo, Air India, AI Express brace for major disruptions as Airbus issues warning for A320 aircraft

Extreme solar radiation has prompted Airbus to issue a global safety alert, forcing IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express to brace for widespread flight disruptions across the country. The advisory, linked to a potential data corruption in critical flight control systems of the A320 family aircraft, could lead to the grounding of as many as 200 to 250 aircraft in India, according to officials quoted by PTI.

This alert stems from Airbus’ analysis of a recent incident involving an A320 overseas in which the aircraft “briefly descended” due to a suspected elevator airfoil computer (ELAC) malfunction. Shortly after, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive, ordering airlines to install serviceable ELAC units before the next flight of any affected aircraft.

India operates nearly 560 A320 family aircraft, the backbone of its domestic aviation network, meaning nearly half of them may need software or hardware intervention. Airlines are preparing for schedule disruptions as engineers conduct inspections and reset the system.

Airlines issue warnings

IndiGo, which operates the country’s largest fleet of A320 aircraft, said it was coordinating closely with Airbus. “We are working closely with Airbus to ensure implementation in accordance with Airbus’s notification. While we are conducting the necessary inspections, we are doing our best to keep disruptions to a minimum,” the airline said.

Air India Express said the software update has begun across its A320 aircraft. “Although the majority of our aircraft are not affected, the directives apply to operators around the world and may result in modifications to flight operations, including possible delays or cancellations,” she noted. PTI reported that 31 aircraft of the A320 family of Air India Express were affected.

Air India said on X that a section of its A320 fleet will require multiple system resets. “This will result in a software/hardware reorganization in a portion of our fleet, resulting in a longer implementation time and delaying our scheduled operations.” The airline apologized to passengers for the inconvenience.

Airbus acknowledged the operational implications but said intervention was necessary. “Airbus has identified a significant number of A320 family aircraft currently in service that may be affected,” the company said.

“We apologize for the inconvenience caused and will work closely with the operators, keeping safety as our first and highest priority.”

The manufacturer said it worked with regulators to issue an Alert to Operators of Transmission (AOT) directing airlines to immediately implement protective measures – software patches, hardware replacement, or both.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has warned that if the problem is left uncorrected, it could lead to undirected elevator movements strong enough to exceed the aircraft’s structural limits. With the A319, A320 and A321 aircraft forming the backbone of domestic aviation, even a short period of grounding is expected to impact thousands of passengers every day.