Flight operations of several airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, and Air India Express, may face disruptions as they address a potential issue with flight controls in their A320 family aircraft. The concern comes after 15 passengers on a JetBlue Airbus A320 flight from Mexico were injured when the plane suddenly dropped in altitude, forcing an emergency landing in Florida earlier this month.
Airbus SE has issued a warning that more than half of its active A320 fleet will require a software update. In India, operators have around 560 A320 family planes, and over 200 of these aircraft will need either software updates or hardware adjustments, according to PTI.
Questions have emerged among passengers about whether Airbus A320 planes of IndiGo and Air India are made in China, following reports of technical glitches. Let’s find out if these planes are really made in China or if the truth is different.
Airbus has a plant in Tianjin, China, where A320 planes are assembled. However, this does not mean the planes are entirely manufactured in China. Major parts of the aircraft, such as the wings, body, nose, and cockpit, are made in different plants across Europe. China’s role is to assemble these parts, build the cabins, conduct system testing, and paint the aircraft. Once these steps are completed, the planes are delivered to the customers.
Parts Come From Different Countries
Parts for the aircraft come from various countries. Airbus’ Tianjin Final Assembly Line, also called FALA, has been operating since 2008 and is the first commercial aircraft assembly point Airbus set up outside Europe. Aircraft of A319, A320, and A321 variants are assembled at this facility. The assembly point was created to meet the growing global demand for A320neo aircraft. Specifically, the wings come from the United Kingdom, the body from Germany and France, the nose and cockpit from France, and the vertical tail from Spain. In China, all these parts are put together to create the final plane.
Safety Standards Are Fully Met
Airbus has also clarified that all aircraft assembled in Tianjin meet the safety standards set by EASA and FAA. Just like planes assembled in Europe, these aircraft go through flight capability, performance, and quality tests. Since 2008, more than 700 planes have been delivered from Tianjin across Asia, including to IndiGo and Air India. All the aircraft are functionally identical to those assembled in Europe and meet global safety standards, according to Airbus.
DGCA Issues Directive to Airlines
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has instructed airlines in India operating Airbus A318, A319, A320, and A321 aircraft to suspend flights, except those that meet the required compliance standards, as per a recent notification.
