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Airbus has issued a warning of potential flight disruptions following its request for immediate modifications to thousands of aircraft. The alert stems from the discovery that intense solar radiation may corrupt data crucial for flight controls.
Approximately 6,000 planes are believed to be impacted, representing roughly half of the European aerospace giant’s global fleet. However, it is understood that the majority of these aircraft will be addressed with a straightforward software update.
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has indicated that the implementation of these updates is likely to cause “some disruption and cancellations to flights”.
Airbus stated that the issue was identified after a recent “incident” in the United States involving an aircraft from the A320 family. The company has apologized for any resulting inconvenience to passengers.
The incident, which occurred on October 30, involved a JetBlue Airways A320 that made an emergency landing in Florida after experiencing a sudden drop in altitude. Reports indicate that at least 15 people sustained injuries.
The issue affects the A320 – Airbus’s best-selling aircraft – as well as other models within the same design family, including the A318, A319, and A321.
Sources indicate that approximately 5,100 Airbus aircraft can be remedied through a relatively simple software update. However, the remaining 900 aircraft, which are older models, will require new hardware and will need to be temporarily taken out of service for modification.
Acknowledging the potential for “operational disruption to passengers and customers,” Airbus has issued an apology.
Wizz Air has confirmed that some of its aircraft are among those requiring updates and that it has scheduled the necessary maintenance. Air India has stated that the directive from Airbus could lead to delays.
British Airways is reportedly not heavily impacted by the issue. EasyJet stated that it is “expecting this to result in some disruption” and will directly inform affected passengers.
“Safety is our highest priority, and easyJet operates its fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with manufacturers’ guidelines,” the airline affirmed.
American Airlines disclosed that 340 of its planes are affected and that it anticipates “some operational delays.” However, the airline added that the vast majority of updates would be completed expeditiously. Delta Airlines expressed the belief that the impact on its operations would be “limited.”
The Civil Aviation Authority [CAA], the UK’s aviation regulator, clarified that only some airlines would be affected, with others experiencing no impact.
“The requirement will mean the airlines flying these aircraft will in some cases have to change software over the days ahead or remain on the ground from Sunday onwards until the software has been changed,” the regulator stated.
Tim Johnson, policy director at CAA, told the BBC: “That unfortunately may mean there is some disruption, some delays or cancellations over the coming days.”
Giancarlo Buono, director of aviation safety at CAA, added: “Passengers should check with their airline whether their flights are affected. Airlines have a duty of care to look after passengers when a flight is delayed.”
The potential problem affecting the A320 family aircraft involves intense solar radiation at high altitudes interfering with the operation of the ELAC computer, which controls the elevators and ailerons. These aerodynamic surfaces are responsible for controlling the aircraft’s pitch and roll.
However, Airbus has stated that the JetBlue incident is the only confirmed instance of this occurring.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued an emergency airworthiness directive, mandating that airlines replace ELAC computers on the most affected planes before carrying passengers again.
The EASA directive specifies that, as of November 29, these aircraft can only transport passengers after undergoing the necessary repairs. They will be permitted to conduct “ferry flights” without passengers to reach a maintenance facility.
The A320 family aircraft are classified as “fly by wire” planes. This means that there is no direct mechanical linkage between the controls in the cockpit and the components that govern flight. Pilot actions are interpreted by computers, which effectively “fly” the plane.
Airbus has issued an alert to airlines, urging them to take “immediate precautionary action…in order to implement the available software and/or hardware protection and ensure the fleet is safe to fly”.
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