Source TOI
NEW DELHI – Indian air travel is set to stabilize by tonight as domestic airlines race to complete a mandatory software upgrade on hundreds of Airbus A320 family aircraft, following a global safety alert. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed late Saturday that the critical modification has been successfully carried out on 322 aircraft of the 338 identified in India, with full completion expected before Sunday morning.
The urgent action was mandated after Airbus flagged a vulnerability in the aircraft’s Elevator and Aileron Computer (ELAC) system, which, under intense solar radiation, could potentially corrupt flight-control data. The global directive, issued following an uncommanded pitch-down incident on an A320-family jet abroad, applies to nearly 6,000 aircraft worldwide.
80% of Affected Fleet Cleared to Fly
The DGCA data shows the modification process, which involves reverting the ELAC B L104 unit to an older, stable software version, has been carried out on approximately 80% of the affected fleet belonging to major Indian carriers, including IndiGo, Air India, and Air India Express.
IndiGo, the most affected operator with 200 aircraft requiring the update, has completed the fix on 184 planes.
Air India has updated 69 of its 113 affected aircraft.
Air India Express has completed the required changes on 17 of its 25 impacted jets.
A senior DGCA official stated, “The rectification action on the remaining aircraft is likely to be completed on Saturday itself. We have ensured no aircraft is allowed to operate until the mandatory modification is carried out.”
Minimal Disruptions Reported
While the urgent nature of the fix led to temporary disruptions, Indian carriers managed to mitigate major cancellations. Reports indicate some flight delays of 60 to 90 minutes across various airports as the required work, which typically takes a couple of hours per plane, was carried out between scheduled flights. IndiGo and Air India have confirmed no flight cancellations due to the process, though Air India Express reported a few delays.
The DGCA had issued a mandatory modification circular based on the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) Emergency Airworthiness Directive, instructing Indian airlines to carry out the rectification before the next scheduled flight of each affected aircraft. The aviation watchdog’s prompt action and the airlines’ round-the-clock efforts are ensuring a quick return to normal operations across the country’s busy airspace.
