Why are Airbus planes being recalled worldwide? How are Indian airlines affected?

Air travel around the world is seeing an unexpected shake-up after Airbus discovered a software problem in its popular A320-family aircraft. These are the workhorse planes used by hundreds of airlines, and now thousands of them have been pulled aside for urgent fixes.

Now, nearly 6,000 jets, about half of all A320-family aircraft in operation, have been pulled in for mandatory software updates. The move has prompted airlines in several countries to temporarily ground parts of their fleets while the aircraft manufacturer works through the fix.

In India, more than 200 A320 planes operated by IndiGo and Air India will stay grounded for two to three days while engineers install the software patch. Airlines expect regular operations to return by Monday or Tuesday, reports The Times of India.

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But what exactly is this software issue? Why is solar radiation being mentioned here? And how serious is the impact on India’s aviation schedule?

Here’s a closer look.

What triggered the software update?

The push for an immediate software update began after a JetBlue flight from Cancun to Newark on October 30 ran into a serious midair issue.

Mid-flight, the aircraft reportedly experienced a sudden and uncommanded drop in altitude, forcing the crew to divert and make an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida.

According to Tampa Fire Rescue spokesperson Vivian Shedd, between 15 and 20 passengers were injured during the incident and were taken to nearby hospitals once the plane landed.

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Following the investigation, Airbus traced the problem to a flight system called ELAC (Elevator and Aileron Computer), which sends commands from the pilot’s side-stick to elevators on the tail section of the aircraft. These, in turn, control the aircraft’s pitch or nose angle.

Th authorities further urged airlines to install an emergency software update on the A320 family.

Airbus refers to the A320 series as the “aircraft family of choice for airlines around the world”. The jets can operate up to 4,700 nautical miles (about 8,700 km) and typically seat anywhere between 120 and 244 passengers.

How solar radiation interferes with aircraft systems

Former Qantas captain Dr Ian Getley, who has a PhD in cosmic and solar radiation in aviation, explains that flights can be affected by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These events occur when the sun blasts plasma into space, he told the BBC.

When a CME is strong, the surge of charged particles can disrupt satellites and aircraft electronics at altitudes above roughly 28,000 ft (8.5 km). Getley said his research into the phenomenon began after he encountered it himself during a 2003 flight from Los Angeles to New York.

As these heavily charged particles enter the Earth’s atmosphere, they generate more charged particles in the upper layers, which can then interfere with onboard electronics and may result in corrupting data essential for flight control systems.

This type of interference is known as a bit flip, when solar radiation hits a computer’s memory and changes a binary value from 0 to 1, or the other way around, which can mean trouble for sensitive areas such as aviation.

What is the fix?

The solution involves rolling the aircraft back to an earlier version of the software, and this must be completed before any affected jet can return to service, according to Airbus’s bulletin to airlines.

For most planes, Airbus says the update should take only two to three hours.

However, a small number of jets may also require hardware replacement to support the updated software, a process that could keep them grounded for longer.

What is the impact on India?

Sources told PTI that between 200 and 250 A320-family aircraft in India will need the update, which addresses the risk of intense solar radiation corrupting critical flight-control data.

On Saturday, India’s DGCA ordered airlines not to operate certain Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft until the urgent software or hardware changes mandated by Airbus are completed.

Air India has confirmed it is following the directive. The airline said it is “aware of a directive from Airbus related to its A320 family aircraft currently in service across airline operators,” and noted that the process will require a “software/hardware realignment” on part of its fleet. Air India has also warned passengers of “longer turnaround times and delays” while the updates are carried out.

Air India operates around 104 A320-family planes with upgraded interiors.

IndiGo has also said it is complying fully, stressing that “safety comes first”. The carrier noted that some flights may see schedule changes as the updates are completed.

The global fallout

Because the Airbus A320 family is the world’s most widely used short-haul aircraft, the recall has created disruptions across almost every major aviation region, from Europe and the US to Asia, South America and Australia.

Airlines in the West immediately began reshuffling schedules. American Airlines called its response “all hands on deck”, saying teams are already updating the hundreds of A320s in its fleet. EasyJet, Lufthansa, Delta and others have also confirmed an impact on operations.

In Australia, Jetstar grounded part of its fleet and cancelled 90 flights on Saturday, with more disruption expected through Sunday. Virgin Australia said its Boeing 737 fleet is covering A320 flights and does not expect a major impact.

In the UK, EasyJet has already completed its update and plans to operate normally. Heathrow says its operations are unaffected, while Gatwick expects some delays. The UK’s Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has advised travellers to check with their airlines.

South America is feeling one of the biggest hits. Over 70 per cent of its fleet is affected and has paused ticket sales for certain dates until December 8.

In Japan, one carrier has cancelled dozens of domestic flights after grounding affected jets.

With input from agencies