Several flights run by the Indian carriers IndiGo, Air India, and Air India Express are likely to be disrupted in the coming days following the detection of a major technical defect across the global Airbus A320 family fleet. The defect – accepted by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency – suggests that strong sun glare can corrupt crucial data required by the plane’s flight control system.
Airbus confirmed the data corruption could affect aircraft control directly. Worldwide, up to 6,000 aircraft are believed to be affected by this flaw, making this the largest recall in the 55-year history of Airbus. In India, where over 560 A320 family planes are in operation, around 200 to 250 aircraft need immediate inspection and modification.
The Technical Glitch and Safety Mandate
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The issue is with the ELAC, or Elevator and Aileron Computer module, which is crucial for the flight control system. The technical risk was brought into the limelight after a recent incident where an A320 aircraft had experienced an uncommanded slight nose-down pitch while flying on autopilot.
Airbus Statement: Airbus said that “intense solar radiation” could undermine the reliability of critical flight-control data, characterizing it as a “very serious technical risk.”
EASA Emergency Notice: EASA issued an emergency notice to install the appropriate ELAC computer to manage flight control reliably.
The Fix: The mandatory fix requires grounding the affected planes while maintenance crews institute changes in software or directly replace hardware. The grounding period is expected to cause flight delays and cancellations worldwide.
Indian Airlines Take Precautionary Measures
Following the safety bulletin, major Indian airlines operating the A320 family aircraft have issued advisories and are taking action to comply with the global mandate.
Air India Express: The airline confirmed the receipt of the alert on the software fix for Airbus A320 aircraft. They added that they are taking all “precautionary steps.” While the majority of their aircraft are unaffected, they warned that because of global directives, some flights may face delays or cancellations. They confirmed 31 of their planes will be impacted.
IndiGo & Air India: IndiGo acknowledged the notification and said it is working to minimize passenger inconvenience. Air India, too, apologized for the inconvenience passengers would face as several flights would be affected during the period of repair.
Global Aviation Disruption
The impact of the massive recall is being felt across the global aviation sector, with major operators having to ground significant portions of their A320 fleets.
Largest Operator: American Airlines, currently the world’s largest A320 operator, has 480 jets, of which around 340 need the technical fix. The company sees the process taking around two hours per aircraft.
Cancellations: Air France said that it canceled 35 flights, about 5 percent of its daily operations.
Severe Impact: Avianca of Colombia informed that more than 70 percent of its fleet has been impacted, for which the carrier has stopped selling tickets for travel until December 8. Other airlines—Lufthansa of Germany, easyJet of the UK, and Volaris of Mexico—are also temporarily grounding some planes for repairs, warning passengers of possible delays over the coming days.
Airbus admitted that this will cause inconvenience for passengers, but safety must come first. The company encouraged all its operators to install the software or hardware fixes immediately.
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