Flight operations all over the world are expected to see significant disruptions over the weekend after European aerospace major Airbus on Friday said that a large number of its best-selling narrow-body A320 family aircraft will require an immediate software change, with some requiring hardware tweaks as well. The rectification action, which will be required to be taken before the next scheduled flight of each affected aircraft, will impact thousands of jets globally and around 300 in India, according to early estimates by industry sources. The rectification action was mandated after Airbus learnt that intense solar radiation could corrupt data critical to flight controls.
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IndiGo and Air India are the major Indian operators of A320 family aircraft—A320, A319, and A321—which form the bulk of India’s narrow-body aircraft fleet. Both the airlines said that they are aware of the notification from Airbus and are implementing the prescribed rectification action. IndiGo has around 370 A320 family jets in its fleet, Air India has 127, and its low-cost arm Air India Express operates 40 A320 family aircraft. A majority of these aircraft will require the software change, which is likely to lead to brief groundings as the required changes would take a couple of hours per aircraft.
While the groundings will be short, they are bound to have a significant impact on flight operations as a narrow-body jet typically operates multiple flights in a day and delays cascade quickly. For Indian airlines, the software change in all affected aircraft is expected to be completed in two-three days. The extent and intensity of the disruption this would cause could not be immediately ascertained.
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“Analysis of a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls. Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in-service which may be impacted. Airbus has worked proactively with the aviation authorities to request immediate precautionary action from operators via an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT) in order to implement the available software and/or hardware protection, and ensure the fleet is safe to fly,” Airbus said in a release.
“Airbus acknowledges these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and will work closely with operators, while keeping safety as our number one and overriding priority,” it added.
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Shortly after the announcement from Airbus, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) requiring operators of the affected A320 family jets to implement the solutions prescribed by Airbus “before next flight”. There are over 11,000 A320 family aircraft in operation globally, and over half of those might be affected by the software issue.
“An Airbus A320 aeroplane recently experienced an uncommanded and limited pitch down event. The autopilot remained engaged throughout the event, with a brief and limited loss of altitude, and the rest of the flight was uneventful. Preliminary technical assessment done by Airbus identified a malfunction of the affected ELAC (elevator aileron computer) as possible contributing factor. This condition, if not corrected, could lead in the worst-case scenario to an uncommanded elevator movement that may result in exceeding the aircraft’s structural capability,” the EASA AD said.
ELAC is a flight control computer that processes pilot input to control the aircraft’s elevators and ailerons, which control the pitch and roll of the aircraft.
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“We are aware of a notification issued by Airbus, the manufacturer of the majority of our fleet, pertaining to the A320-family. We are working closely with Airbus to ensure implementation as per Airbus notification. While we carry out the necessary inspections, we are making every effort to minimise disruptions. We regret any inconvenience this unforeseen situation may cause to our customers and appreciate their understanding. IndiGo is committed to the safety of its customers and staff, and treats safety as its topmost priority,” an IndiGo spokesperson said in a statement early Saturday.
In an advisory posted on social media platform X, Tata group airline Air India 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. Air India regrets any inconvenience this may cause to passengers till the reset is carried out across the fleet.”
An Air India Express spokesperson said that the airline has initiated immediate precautionary action following the notification from Airbus.
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“While a majority of our aircraft are not impacted, the guidance applies to operators worldwide and may result in adjustments to flight operations, including potential delays or cancellations…We regret the inconvenience and appreciate the understanding of our guests. Air India Express is working closely with Airbus and the relevant authorities to ensure the continued safe and reliable operation of our fleet,” the Air India Express spokesperson said.
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