Airbus A320 urgent fix to disrupt global flights; 350 jets affected in India

Air travel worldwide is bracing for significant disruption this weekend after Airbus issued an urgent alert requiring thousands of A320 family aircraft to undergo software and, in some cases, hardware upgrades. The directive follows the investigation of a serious in-flight control malfunction involving a JetBlue A320 in October, prompting the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to issue an emergency airworthiness directive.

The ripple effect is set to be felt sharply in India, where more than 350 A320 family aircraft operated by IndiGo and the Air India Group are expected to be grounded over the next two to three days. While the upgrades are projected to be completed by Monday or Tuesday, the temporary withdrawal of such a large fleet segment will inevitably lead to delays and cancellations across domestic and international networks.

The urgent directive stems from an incident on 30 October, when a JetBlue A320 flying from Cancun to Newark suddenly pitched downward without any pilot command. A preliminary assessment by the US National Transportation Safety Board found that the event likely occurred during a switch between flight control computers known as ELACs (Elevator Aileron Computers). Although the pilots regained control and diverted safely to Tampa, several passengers required medical attention.

Subsequent technical analysis by Airbus revealed that intense solar radiation could corrupt critical flight-control data in certain aircraft configurations. This potential vulnerability affects a large number of A320 family aircraft currently in service, prompting Airbus to call for immediate corrective action.

Airbus has advised airlines to install updated software—and in the case of older aircraft, new hardware—to protect flight-control systems from data corruption.

• Newer A320 variants: Software upload can be completed in roughly 30 minutes per aircraft.

• Older A320s: Additional hardware changes mean the work could take several hours to days.

Globally, about 6,000 aircraft may need attention. A source cited by AFP said software replacements would take “a few hours” for most operators, while modifications on roughly 1,000 older jets could take weeks.

India, one of the world’s largest A320 markets, will experience one of the most substantial immediate impacts.

• IndiGo: With a fleet of over 350 A320 family aircraft, mostly newer models, the airline is expected to complete upgrades on approximately 250 aircraft by early next week.

• Air India Group: Of its 120–125 A320 family jets, over 100 require the update. The carrier has warned of longer turnaround times and delays until the alignment is completed.

In a statement on X, Air India acknowledged the directive, cautioning passengers of potential schedule disruptions and expressing regret for the inconvenience.

European and Latin American carriers experienced immediate effects on Friday.

• Air France cancelled 35 flights and said more cancellations were expected on Saturday.

• Avianca reported that 70 per cent of its fleet had been impacted and forecast “significant disruptions over the next 10 days”.

• American Airlines said it had already begun software updates on its 340 affected aircraft, anticipating “several delays” while upgrades are completed.

• United Airlines reported no operational impact.

EASA confirmed that the directive could lead to short-term scheduling disruption but stressed that “safety is paramount”.

Airbus said intense solar radiation was identified as the cause of corrupted flight-control data, prompting the alert. It acknowledged that the required actions would inconvenience passengers but emphasised that the precaution was essential to guarantee safe operations.

Thales, which manufactures the flight-control computer involved, stated that its hardware complies with Airbus specifications and international certifications, but noted that the software in question was not its responsibility.

EASA’s emergency directive warns that without corrective action, an uncommanded elevator movement could, in a worst-case scenario, exceed the aircraft’s structural limits. The agency has instructed operators to install serviceable ELAC units and apply all available protections before returning aircraft to service.

With the A320 family being the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft — more than 12,250 delivered so far — the global disruption is expected to be temporary but widespread. While Indian carriers aim to complete upgrades swiftly, several days of delays and cancellations appear unavoidable.

With agency inputs