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Nearly 350 planes impacted in India amid Airbus A320 glitch: What DGCA said
Authorities identified 338 A320 family planes in India, out of which more than half, precisely 55%, have undergone flight-control software updates.
Airbus’s directive for a major software fix across its A320 fleet has disrupted global flight operations, leading to cancellations and delays for several airlines. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also shared an update on how the Airbus directive affected flight ops in the country.
Authorities identified 338 A320 family planes in India, out of which more than half, precisely 55%, have undergone flight-control software updates, the DGCA said.
In its earlier statement, the air regulator had said that an Airworthiness Directive was issued to all Indian airlines to carry out the requisite software upgrades. “Based on the Airbus AOT and EASA Emergency AD, DGCA has issued a Mandatory Modification on November 29 prescribing the mandatory actions required for the continued safe operation of the aircraft,” the regulator said.
Also Read: Delta, Jetstar among global airlines impacted by Airbus A320 glitch: Full list
How many flights were impacted in India?
In India, the of the A320 fleet, A320ceo and neo variants, as well as A321ceo and neo models, are operated by major carriers such as IndiGo, Air India Express and Air India.
According to DGCA, HT reported that 200 IndiGo aircraft, 113 of Air India and 25 of Air India Express were impacted after the software fix directive by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). According to news agency PTI, 113 IndiGo, 42 Air India and four Air India Express planes have undergone upgrades.
The software fixes are reportedly being undertaken at the bases of the airlines in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Kolkata.
What airlines told passengers
Earlier today, Air India and IndiGo issued guidelines for passengers warning them of potential delays and changes in flight schedules to the A320 glitch and the Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) in place.
Air India noted that the fix would involve a "software/hardware realignment" on part of its fleet, and IndiGo said it was "proactively completing" the mandated updates.
The directive followed an incident on a JetBlue flight from Cancun to Newark on October 30, in which the Airbus A320 experienced an uncommanded pitch-down, injuring several passengers.
A preliminary Airbus assessment later pointed to a malfunction in the Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC) flight-control system as a possible cause.
