Air India Responds to Airbus A320 Safety Check Issue: No Major Impact on Flight Operations

Air India, now a part of the Tata Group, has issued an official statement regarding the recent safety directive affecting Airbus A320 family aircraft worldwide. The airline confirmed that none of its flights have been cancelled due to the mandatory software and hardware updates ordered by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Airbus.

Air India’s Statement

According to the airline, more than 40% of its affected aircraft have already been updated, and the remaining work will be completed well within EASA’s prescribed deadline. Air India also clarified that:

• There is no significant disruption in its network operations.
• Some flights may experience slight delays or minor schedule changes.
• Ground staff are available across airports to assist passengers.

What Led to the Global Recall?

Airbus recently recalled nearly 6,000 aircraft of the A320 family after a concerning incident involving a JetBlue A320 flying from Cancun to Newark. The aircraft experienced an unexpected nose-down movement without pilot input, which investigators linked to a possible malfunction during an ELAC switch change — a system critical for elevator and aileron control.

Following this, Airbus discovered that intense solar radiation could corrupt flight-control-related data in certain A320 models.
As a precaution:

• New A320 aircraft are receiving software upgrades (approx. 30 minutes).
• Older models require both software updates and hardware replacements, increasing turnaround time.

EASA’s emergency airworthiness directive mandates that all affected aircraft must undergo these updates.

Impact on India

India operates one of the largest A320 fleets in the world, primarily through Indigo and Air India.

• IndiGo: Operates around 350 A320-family aircraft. Approximately 250 of these are expected to be updated over the weekend.
• Air India: Operates around 120–125 A320-family aircraft.

Airlines expect normal schedules to resume by Monday or Tuesday after completing required updates.

Why This Matters

The A320 family forms the backbone of domestic and short-haul international aviation in India. The swift and efficient response from both Airbus and Indian carriers has helped avoid widespread disruptions—ensuring safety while maintaining operational continuity.

Air India has reiterated its commitment to passenger safety and transparency during this global aviation issue.