Airbus on Friday said intense solar flares might corrupt data critical to flight controls in over 6,000 planes of the A320 family aircraft, requiring immediate recall leading to flight delays and cancellations amidst a busy holiday weekend.
IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express flight operations are expected to disruptions as they fix a potential issue related to software changes and flight controls in as many as 200-250 narrow-body aircraft, according to sources.
Indian operators have about 560 A320 family aircraft and 200-250 of them will need software changes or hardware realignment, they added.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said Airbus asked airline operators to install a serviceable Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC) in the impacted aircraft before their next flight. The ELAC is generally used for flight controls.
On Saturday, India’s largest airline, IndiGo, said it is aware of a notification issued by Airbus, the manufacturer of a majority of their fleet, pertaining to the A320 family planes.
“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,” it said in a statement.
Also Read: Air India, Airbus open pilot training hub in Gurugram
Similarly, Air India Express said in a statement: “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.”
In a post on X, Air India too said it is aware of an Airbus directive related to its A320 family aircraft currently in-service across airline operators.
“This will result in a software/hardware realignment on a part of our fleet, leading to longer turnaround time and delays to our scheduled operations. Air India regrets any inconvenience this may cause to passengers till the reset is carried out across the fleet,” the airline said.
The A320 family aircraft includes A319s, A320 ceos and neos, A321 ceos and neos.
Airbus said an analysis of a recent event involving an A320 family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls.
The incident involved a JetBlue flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey, on October 30, in which several passengers were hurt after the plane experienced an uncommanded and limited pitch down event.
The plane made an emergency landing at Tampa, Florida, prompting a Federal Aviation Administration investigation, said EASA.
“The autopilot remained engaged throughout the event, with a brief and limited loss of altitude, and the rest of the flight was uneventful. Preliminary technical assessment done by Airbus identified a malfunction of the affected ELAC as possible contributing factor,” it said.
“Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 family aircraft currently in-service which may be impacted,” Airbus said in a release, acknowledging that the recommendations will lead to operational disruptions and apologising for the same.
The aircraft maker said it 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 condition, if not corrected, could lead in the worst-case scenario to an uncommanded elevator movement that may result in exceeding the aircraft's structural capability, the EASA said.
Follow us
