Airbus A320 Major Safety Alert: 6,000 Planes Grounded Due To Software Glitch; IndiGo, Air India Issue Urgent Advisory

New Delhi: Airbus has issued a global advisory to operators of its A320 family aircraft after analysis of a recent event revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls.

In its statement, Airbus said it has identified a significant number of A320 family aircraft currently in service that may be impacted. The company said it has worked with aviation authorities to request immediate precautionary action from operators through an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT). The advisory mandates available software and/or hardware protection to ensure the fleet remains safe to fly. Airbus acknowledged that these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers.

Following the advisory, India’s largest carriers - Air India and IndiGo - confirmed compliance and alerted passengers of potential schedule changes.

Air India posted on X: “We are aware of a directive from Airbus 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”.

IndiGo also issued a statement saying: “Airbus has issued a technical advisory for the global A320 fleet. We are proactively completing the mandated updates on our aircraft with full diligence and care, in line with all safety protocols. While we work through these precautionary updates, some flights may see some slight schedule changes... Please check your latest flight status on our app/website before heading to the airport”.

Both airlines added that while operations are expected to continue, “some flights may see slight schedule changes”, and urged passengers to check updated flight status before travelling to the airport.

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