How Many Aircraft Have Received the Airbus Software Update?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 270 A320 aircraft have completed the software update.
- The issue affects 338 flights in India.
- IndiGo is the most impacted airline.
- Air India Express has faced delays.
- The DGCA is actively monitoring operations.
New Delhi, Nov 29 (NationPress) The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) disclosed on Saturday the extent of disruption faced by Indian airline services as global flight operations continue to encounter challenges due to a software glitch in the Airbus A320 aircraft.
As per the regulator, a total of 338 flights in India are impacted by this issue.
The DGCA indicated that out of these 338 flights, 270 have completed the necessary software upgrade and are now approved to resume commercial operations. This situation arose following a global directive issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) mandating a software update for all Airbus A320 aircraft.
The update pertains to the Elevator and Aileron Computer (ELAC), an essential component of the aircraft’s flight control system. EASA identified the “ELAC B L104” units as the source of the vulnerability, prompting this worldwide directive that is anticipated to affect nearly 6,000 flights.
Earlier, Indian airlines like IndiGo, Air India, and Air India Express alerted passengers about potential delays caused by the mandatory update. However, the DGCA has now confirmed that more than half of all A320 aircraft operating in India have already implemented the software fix.
IndiGo is the most impacted, with 200 of its aircraft requiring the update. By noon on Saturday, 160 of those aircraft had successfully undergone the process, and the airline has yet to cancel any flights.
Air India had 113 aircraft affected, with 42 having completed the software upgrade. Meanwhile, Air India Express had 25 aircraft impacted, but only four have been updated at this point.
While Air India has managed to avoid flight cancellations, Air India Express has experienced delays, confirming that eight of its flights have been postponed due to the ongoing software updates, marking it as the worst-affected among Indian carriers.
The DGCA stated it is diligently monitoring the situation to ensure seamless operations across the nation’s airports.