Air travel across India and several international routes is likely to face significant delays this weekend, as airlines rush to install a mandatory software patch on thousands of Airbus A320-family aircraft. The update—triggered by a flight-control vulnerability—has forced carriers to temporarily withdraw aircraft from service.

Industry officials expect IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express to feel the most impact, with nearly 400 narrow-body jets in India needing immediate attention. Airlines across the world are carrying out similar upgrades and aim to finish the work within the next few days.

Airbus announced on Friday that unusually strong solar radiation can corrupt crucial data in a key flight-control system on many A320-series aircraft. The European manufacturer acknowledged that the scale of modifications will cause operational hiccups globally. The recall is shaping up to be one of the most extensive in Airbus’s history—at the time of the alert, nearly 3,000 A320-family aircraft were in the air.

With carriers organising groundings for software installation and, in certain cases, hardware recalibration, aviation authorities expect flight schedules to remain strained over the weekend.

DGCA Orders Immediate Action on A320 Fleet

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has identified 338 India-operated A320-family aircraft that require the mandatory update—more than half of which have already been modified. Aviation analysts estimate the total number could rise to around 400 once inspections conclude.

The regulator said it moved swiftly after receiving Airbus’s Alert Operators Transmission (AOT) and the accompanying emergency directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

“The DGCA issued a Mandatory Modification on November 29, outlining essential steps required for the continued safe operation of affected aircraft,” the authority said.

According to PTI sources, Indian airlines have not cancelled flights so far, though many are reporting delays of up to 90 minutes as jets remain grounded for upgrades.

IndiGo is expected to absorb the biggest disruption. Its fleet includes 195 A320-series aircraft, of which 200 require software updates. Air India has 113 such aircraft, and Air India Express has 25 affected jets.

Airlines Issue Clarifications

IndiGo said it has already completed software updates on 160 affected aircraft, with work on the remaining jets “progressing on schedule.” The carrier said it had avoided cancellations but warned of “marginal delays.”

Air India Express noted that although most of its aircraft do not fall under the directive, compliance with global guidelines may lead to delays or cancellations. Sources indicated that 31 of its A320-family jets require the fix.

Air India confirmed that no flights had been cancelled due to the software upgrade but advised that some services might experience schedule changes.

Airbus has apologised for the inconvenience, stating that the measures are crucial for safety. The manufacturer said it is working closely with global regulators to accelerate compliance.

The alert stems from an October incident involving a JetBlue A320 that abruptly lost altitude on a US–Mexico route, injuring 15 people before making an emergency landing. Airbus later discovered that the same vulnerability could affect A318, A319, A320 and A321 aircraft, prompting the sweeping directive.

EASA has warned that, without correction, the malfunction could cause sudden and unintended elevator movements that could push an aircraft beyond safe structural limits.

Ripple Effects Across the World

Airlines around the globe are also experiencing disruptions:

• American Airlines cut its estimate of at-risk aircraft from 340 to 209 and is carrying out most updates overnight.

• ANA in Japan cancelled 65 flights after grounding A320s, while Japan Airlines remained unaffected due to its largely Boeing fleet.

• Lufthansa and Air France reported minimal disruption.

• British Airways said its operations are not expected to be impacted.

• Air New Zealand grounded several A320neo jets for updates, causing cancellations.

• Avianca reported more than 70% of its fleet is affected, temporarily halting ticket sales until December 8.

With India alone operating over 560 A320-family jets, nearly half may require interventions, marking one of the biggest technical challenges faced by the country’s aviation sector in recent years.