Airbus software alert LIVE: Multiple flights across world delayed, DGCA issues order to ensure safety

“Air India has successfully completed the reset on over 90% of its operating A320 family aircraft that were impacted by EASA and Airbus’ requirement for a software realignment. We expect to cover the entire fleet within the timeline prescribed by EASA, with safety remaining our top priority,” says Air India in a statement.

Airbus and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have issued directives regarding the A320 family aircraft issue, and the modification must be completed before 5.30 am IST on November 30.

As many as 338 A320 family aircraft operated by Indian carriers -- IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express -- have been impacted, and, according to DGCA data, software upgrades have been completed for more than half of these aircraft.

State-owned AI Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) on Saturday said its personnel are providing all support required to airlines to carry out system modifications on A320 family aircraft.

More than 6,000 jets in total — more than half of those in service — may be impacted by the required fix, Airbus said late on Friday. A directive from Europe’s aviation safety regulator said software upgrades must happen before the affected aircrafts’ next regular flights.

“The problem that has been found with the software upgrade of 2024, that ELAC 2 is having a software problem. The purpose of these computers are to give the correct control inputs, give an indication and also monitor faults. So they are in effect the brain and nervous system of the aircraft,” says Former Pilot Ehsan Khalid.

“These aircraft, Airbus 320 and all modern aircraft, are fly-by-wire because we have a control column. This is called side stick. One for the pilot, one for the first officer. When the pilot moves the control forward, it will cause the aircraft to pitch down. When I move it back, it causes the aircraft to pitch up. This particular movement is by pilot control. If it happens on its own, then there is a problem,” he adds.

Airbus is telling airlines that emergency repairs to some of the A320 jets affected by a major recall may be less burdensome than first thought, Reuters reported quoting industry sources said on Saturday.

Although some 6,000 jets remain impacted overall, a sub-set of jets needing a time-consuming hardware change rather than a quick software fix is smaller than the initial estimates of 1,000, they said.

IndiGo on Saturday said it has completed the requisite upgrades of 160 A320 family aircraft till noon and inspections are progressing for the remaining 40 such planes.

The airline also said that no flights have been cancelled as a result of these checks. However, a few flights may experience minimal delays.

Air India said that it has completed the reset of over 40% of the affected aircraft and is confident of achieving the remaining updates within the timeline prescribed by EASA.

"At Air India, safety is top priority. Following EASA and Airbus directives for a mandatory software and hardware realignment on A320 family aircraft worldwide, our engineers have been working round-the-clock to complete the task at the earliest. We have already completed the reset on over 40% of our aircraft that are impacted by this, and are confident of covering the entire fleet within the timeline prescribed by EASA. Air India can confirm that there have been no cancellations due to this task and there isn't any major impact on schedule integrity across our network. However, some of our flights may be slightly delayed or rescheduled. Our colleagues on ground are there to assist the passengers," said Air India.

25 Air India Express flights have been affected, and the software upgrades have been completed for 4 of the aircraft, PTI reported, citing data available until 10 am.

Airbus shared an update on precautionary measures for its A320 Family fleet after analysing a recent event that indicated intense solar radiation could corrupt data essential for flight controls, according to an official company statement.

ANA Holdings, Japan's largest airline, stated that the cancellation of 65 flights on Saturday was due to the recall of Airbus A320 aircraft, which led to the grounding of some of its planes. The airline, along with its affiliates such as Peach Aviation, is the leading operator of single-aisle Airbus aircraft, including the A320, in Japan, Reuters reported.

Air India has issued an advisory over the Airbus software update. Check full advisory here —

The software upgrades are currently underway at airline bases in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata, according to PTI.

A total of 200 IndiGo planes have been affected, with software upgrades completed for 143 of them. Regarding Air India, 113 aircraft have been impacted, and upgrades have been carried out for 42 of them, PTI reported, citing DGCA data.

The software upgrades on all affected planes are scheduled to be completed by 5:29 a.m. on November 30, PTI reported.

As of 10 am on November 29, software upgrades have been completed for 189 of the 338 A320 family planes in India, PTI reported, citing data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

No flights have been cancelled in India so far, but some flights are delayed by 60-90 minutes as software updates are underway on the affected aircrafts, PTI reported, citing people aware of the development.

IndiGo Airlines issued a warning following an Airbus alert, informing passengers of potential disruptions to operations.

“Airbus has issued a technical advisory for the global A320 fleet. We are proactively completing the mandated updates on our aircraft with full diligence and care, in line with all safety protocols. While we work through these precautionary updates, some flights may see some slight schedule changes. Our teams are here 24×7 to support you with rebooking, updates, and information. Please check your latest flight status on our app/website before heading to the airport,” IndiGo posted on X.

Airbus software update is in progress and over 50% A320 family planes in India have already been streamlined, DGCA said.

The sudden descent of JetBlue plane last month. problem was caused by a software update to the plane's onboard computers, according to European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Over 500 US registered aircraft will be impacted by this safety check directive.

An analysis of JetBlue plane incident was conducted in which the aircraft suddenly descended mid-air last month. Probe revealed that the computer code deployed in the widely used commercial aircraft may have contributed to a sudden drop in the altitude.

Air India in a post on X stated, “Air India can confirm that there have been no cancellations due to this task and there isn't any major impact on schedule integrity across our network.”

Airbus press release states, “Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in-service which may be impacted.”

It adds, “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. This AOT will be reflected in an Emergency Airworthiness Directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).”

Airbus software update LIVE: Air India in a post on X stated, “At Air India, safety is top priority. Following EASA and Airbus directives for a mandatory software and hardware realignment on A320 family aircraft worldwide, our engineers have been working round-the-clock to complete the task at the earliest. We have already completed the reset on over 40% of our aircraft that are impacted by this, and are confident of covering the entire fleet within the timeline prescribed by EASA.”