On November 30, LatestNewsX reported that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) revealed all Indian carriers have finished the required software upgrade for their operational Airbus A320 family jets. The update tackles a possible problem where intense solar radiation could interfere with flight‑control information. So far, 323 A320‑family aircraft operated by IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express have been upgraded, covering every IndiGo jet, 100 of Air India’s 113 planes, and 23 of the 25 Air India Express aircraft. Four Air India aircraft undergoing routine base maintenance are scheduled for the upgrade onsite, while nine others do not need the change. Two Air India Express jets are in maintenance and will be returned to their lessors.
The directive followed an alert from Airbus on Friday, which warned that during powerful solar events—such as solar flares—the aircraft’s Elevator and Aileron Computer (ELAC) could temporarily fail. That computer governs the up‑and‑down movement and turning of the plane, and a brief glitch could corrupt the data sent to the control surfaces. Although the issue is uncommon, it could affect a plane’s climb, descent or turn capability.
After receiving the Airbus warning, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive. The DGCA responded on Saturday with a matching order, urging Indian airlines to complete the software update promptly. Air India Express stated on X that it finished all preventative inspections on its A320 fleet within the required window. The airline said that close coordination between its engineering, operations, and flight‑safety teams—along with Airbus and regulatory support—minimized operational disruption. With all upgrades complete, DGCA officials said the entire operational A320 fleet in India now meets the latest international airworthiness standards.
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