Indian Airlines Rush to Upgrade A320 Fleet Amid Software Glitch

Indian airlines are upgrading software on 338 A320 aircraft due to potential flight control issues, with over half completed. Delays, but no cancellations, occur as upgrades proceed. Airbus attributes the required updates to data corruption from intense solar radiation, sparking an urgent response from airlines.

Indian airlines are racing against the clock to implement crucial software upgrades on 338 A320 family aircraft. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reports that updates have been completed on 189 of these planes. This proactive step addresses potential data corruption issues affecting flight controls, believed to be caused by intense solar radiation. Meanwhile, Airbus has acknowledged that these updates, although necessary, could lead to operational disruptions.

Major Indian carriers like IndiGo, Air India, and Air India Express are impacted, with 200, 113, and 25 aircraft requiring attention, respectively. So far, IndiGo has completed upgrades on 143 planes, Air India on 42, and Air India Express on four. Despite the technical challenge, there have been no flight cancellations, but passengers are experiencing delays ranging from 60 to 90 minutes.

In response to this situation, the European Aviation Safety Authority issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive, prompting Airbus to recommend the installation of a serviceable Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC) in affected aircraft. Indian operators are working around the clock to meet the deadline as the DGCA mandates upgrades to be finished by November 30.

(With inputs from agencies.)