Airbus Alert On A320 Jets Could Cause Delays, Cancellations For Major Indian Airlines

Airbus SE has cautioned that more than half of its active A320 jetliner family fleet will require a software update, raising concerns of operational disruptions for multiple carriers, including IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express. The warning follows an incident earlier this month in which 15 passengers on a JetBlue-operated Airbus A320 flying from Mexico were injured after a sudden altitude drop prompted an emergency landing in Florida.

According to information shared with PTI, Indian airlines operate around 560 A320 family aircraft, and over 200 of them will need either software modifications or hardware adjustments.

Impact on flight schedules

Aircraft across India and globally belonging to the A320 family will undergo software updates or hardware fixes, and in many cases, grounding will be required, resulting in expected disruptions, the report noted. The A320 family includes A319s, A320 ceos and neos, and A321 ceos and neos.

Several domestic airlines have issued advisories addressing the issue. On Saturday, IndiGo, India's largest carrier, said it was aware of the Airbus notice concerning A320 family aircraft. "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," the airline said.

Air India Express stated, "We have initiated immediate precautionary action in response to an alert requiring a software fix on the Airbus A320 fleet. 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."

Air India also confirmed it was following the directive and alerted passengers about longer turnaround times and possible delays. "This will result in a software or hardware realignment on a part of our fleet, leading to longer turnaround time and delays to our scheduled operations," it said.

What Airbus said

In its statement, Airbus SE explained that more than half of its active A320 jetliner family fleet would need a software update after the JetBlue Airways incident indicated that "intense solar radiation" might corrupt data critical for keeping flight controls operational.

Airbus said that over 6,500 aircraft could be affected by the required update, which must be carried out before each jet's next regularly scheduled flight.

The A320 is a major competitor to Boeing Co.'s 737 series, with both aircraft families forming the backbone of global civil aviation.