Airbus has issued a safety warning for 6,000 of its A320 family planes, prompting airlines to temporarily ground affected jets during the busy Thanksgiving travel period. The alert follows the discovery of a software flaw that could affect pilots’ ability to steer and stabilize the aircraft during solar storms.
The European plane manufacturer urged all operators using the A320 to update software and hardware to protect against radiation interference. At the time of the announcement, roughly 3,000 planes were airborne. Most affected jets are expected to be grounded for just a few hours, but those requiring hardware updates may face longer delays.
“Airbus has worked proactively with aviation authorities to request immediate precautionary action from operators via an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT) to implement available software and hardware protection and ensure fleet safety,” the company said in a statement.
The flaw was discovered following a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigation into a flight emergency in October. A JetBlue flight from Cancun to Newark experienced a sudden drop from 35,000 feet to 10,000 feet, causing 15 passengers and crew to be injured. Air traffic control recordings captured the pilot requesting medical equipment for injured passengers.
The FAA determined that intense solar radiation corrupted the plane’s computers, prompting Airbus to investigate and issue the alert. The recall is one of the largest in the company’s history and could affect thousands of passengers over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Industry sources estimate that about two-thirds of the affected planes will require only a brief grounding to revert to an older software version. For example, American Airlines said 320 of its 480 A320 jets will need software updates, each taking roughly two hours, with completion expected by Saturday. However, planes requiring hardware updates, estimated at 1,000, may face significantly longer delays.
The alert comes amid additional challenges for the airline industry, which is dealing with air traffic controller shortages following a wave of resignations due to stress during the government shutdown. Travel disruptions are expected to continue as airlines implement Airbus’s safety recommendations.
Passengers planning to fly on A320 jets are advised to check with airlines for potential delays and schedule adjustments. Aviation experts say that while the risk of a critical incident is low, the precautionary grounding is necessary to ensure passenger safety.
Airbus and regulators are continuing to monitor the situation and provide guidance to airlines to minimize disruption while protecting flights from potential computer interference caused by solar radiation.
The Thanksgiving travel weekend, already one of the busiest periods of the year, faces heightened disruption as airlines work to comply with the Airbus alert while maintaining flight schedules.
