Hundreds of Airbus aircraft operated by Air India and IndiGo are undergoing mandatory inspections following an emergency airworthiness directive issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. The directive temporarily grounds up to 6,000 Airbus A320-family aircraft globally until critical flight control system fixes are completed.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued a “most urgent” mandatory modification notice requiring airlines to inspect and replace flight control components, specifically the ATA 27 system involving elevator aileron computers. The affected aircraft include A318, A319, A320, and A321/5 series models.
Airlines Report Progress on Compliance
Air India stated its engineering teams are working continuously to complete required checks. “We have already completed the reset on over 40 per cent of our aircraft that are impacted by this, and are confident of covering the entire fleet within the timeline prescribed by EASA,” the airline said.
The carrier reported no flight cancellations resulting from the directive and minimal impact on schedule integrity across its network. Industry sources indicated both airlines expect full compliance by day’s end, with any delays limited to under 30 minutes.
Incident Triggers Global Safety Alert
The EASA directive followed a midair incident last month involving an A320 traveling from Cancun to Newark. The aircraft, cruising at 35,000 feet, suddenly pitched nose-down without pilot input, causing an unexpected altitude drop before safely diverting to Tampa.
Investigators identified a malfunction in the elevator aileron computer, a critical system that translates pilot commands to wing and tail control surfaces.
Solar Radiation Identified as Software Vulnerability
Airbus investigation findings revealed an unexpected cause: intense solar radiation can corrupt recently updated ELAC software, affecting critical data bits. This corruption risks uncommanded aircraft maneuvers that could potentially overload the plane’s structural limits.
The discovery highlights vulnerabilities in aviation software systems to space weather phenomena, prompting immediate global action to inspect and modify affected aircraft systems.
Operational Impact Contained
Both major Indian carriers emphasized their commitment to safety compliance while minimizing disruption to passengers. The coordinated response between EASA, DGCA, and airlines demonstrates the aviation industry’s rapid safety protocol implementation when critical vulnerabilities are identified.
The directive affects one of the world’s most widely used commercial aircraft families, underscoring the scale of the coordinated international aviation safety response.
