Several domestic airlines may experience delays and schedule changes on multiple routes on Saturday due to a technical regulation from Airbus affecting its A320 fleet.
Many airlines have warned of delays and cancellations following an alert from Airbus that suggested up to 6,000 active A320s may need to be upgraded. IndiGo, Air India and others are expected to experience operational disruptions.
What do domestic airlines say?
Indigo
The airline informed its passengers that it is updating its aircraft, which may lead to slight changes to the flight schedule for some flights, and encouraged them to check their flight status online.
In a post on social media platform X, IndiGo said: “Airbus has issued a technical advisory for the global A320 fleet. We are proactively completing mandatory updates on our aircraft with full care and attention, in compliance with all safety protocols. While we are working on these preventive updates, some flights may experience minor schedule changes. Our teams are here 24×7 to support you with updates and rebooking your flight. heading to the airport.”
Air India
Air India acknowledged the directive from Airbus for the A320 aircraft, which led to longer turnaround times and operational delays. Passengers were advised to check their flight status online during this period and ask the airline for assistance.
“We are aware of the directive from Airbus regarding its A320 family aircraft that are currently in service with airline operators. This will lead to software/hardware realignments on parts of our fleet, resulting in longer turnaround times and delays in our scheduled operations,” Air India informed on X.
“Air India regrets any inconvenience this may cause to passengers until the reset is done across the fleet. Customers are requested to check the status of their flight at the address before traveling to the airport and contact our contact center at 011-69329333, 011-69329999 for any further assistance,” the airline said.
Air India Express
Air India Express informed that precautionary measures are being taken for Airbus A320S based on software warning. Although most flights remain intact, there may be delays or cancellations. Passengers were advised to check their flight status via the website or app.
“We have initiated precautionary measures following the notice requiring a software fix for Airbus A320s. While most of our aircraft are not affected, these instructions apply to operators worldwide, resulting in delays or cancellations,” Air India Express said in a statement published on X.
“Make sure your contact details are updated and check the latest flight status on our website, chatbot or mobile app,” he added.
Airbus software problem
Airbus announced on Friday that intense solar radiation could damage data critical to flight control on a significant number of A320 family aircraft and that required software changes to fix the problem would lead to operational disruptions.
The update mainly involves reverting to earlier versions of the software, and the plane must undergo this change before it is allowed to fly again, according to an airline bulletin reviewed by Reuters. Several airlines have warned that completion of these repairs could cause delays or cancellations.
The update could affect around 200 to 250 aircraft in India, PTI reported, citing people familiar with the development. Indian operators have approximately 560 A320 family aircraft that will require software updates or hardware re-tuning.
