Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 29: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday detailed the extent of flight disruptions across India as airlines rush to comply with a global software upgrade mandated for Airbus A320 aircraft.
A total of 338 flights have been affected nationwide due to a vulnerability detected in the aircraft’s Elevator and Aileron Computer (ELAC) system. The issue surfaced after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ordered an urgent worldwide update for ELAC “B L104” units—an action expected to impact nearly 6,000 flights globally.
According to the DGCA, 270 out of the 338 impacted flights have already completed the required software fix and are back in service.
Among Indian carriers, IndiGo has taken the biggest hit, with 200 aircraft requiring the update. By noon, 160 of them had completed the upgrade, and the airline reported no cancellations so far.
Air India had 113 aircraft affected, with 42 updated by Saturday afternoon. Air India Express reported 25 affected aircraft, but only four have undergone the fix, resulting in delays for eight flights, making it the worst-hit operator in terms of punctuality.
Despite mandatory updates causing operational hiccups, most airlines have managed to avoid cancellations. The DGCA said it is maintaining close oversight to ensure the situation stabilises quickly across airports.
The regulator assured passengers that the majority of the fleet is expected to return to normal service shortly as upgrades are completed.