Major Flight Disruptions Loom as IndiGo, Air India Ground 200–250 A320S for Urgent Fix

India’s busiest airlines — IndiGo, Air India, and Air India Express — are bracing for widespread flight delays and cancellations after Airbus identified a serious safety issue in the A320 family fleet linked to intense solar radiation corrupting critical flight-control data.

Sources told media outlets that between 200 and 250 aircraft operated by Indian carriers — out of a national total of around 560 A320-family jets — will require immediate software upgrades or hardware modifications to their Elevator Aileron Computers (ELAC), forcing the planes to be temporarily grounded.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive mandating that the affected ELACs be replaced or modified before the next flight, following an incident in which an A320 experienced an uncommanded pitch-down movement while the autopilot was engaged.

Airbus explained that extreme solar radiation can corrupt data inside certain ELAC units, potentially leading to uncontrolled elevator movements that, in the worst case, could exceed the aircraft’s structural limits.

Airline Responses

-IndiGo, the country’s largest carrier, stated it is “working closely with Airbus” to carry out the required inspections and updates while trying to minimise passenger inconvenience.  
-Air India warned of longer turnaround times and schedule disruptions, saying a portion of its A320 fleet needs software/hardware realignment and apologised in advance for the delays.  
-Air India Express confirmed it has begun precautionary measures, noting that 31 of its aircraft are affected and that some flights may face delays or cancellations.

None of the airlines disclosed the exact number of their grounded aircraft, but industry sources estimate the combined impact across the three carriers will exceed 200 planes.

Airbus has apologised for the global disruption, emphasising that safety remains the top priority and that it is supporting operators to implement the fix as quickly as possible.

Passengers flying with IndiGo, Air India, or Air India Express over the coming days are advised to check their flight status regularly, as significant schedule changes are expected until the mandatory upgrades are completed across the affected fleet.

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