Airbus Grounds Thousands of Planes
Airbus grounds thousands of planes after discovering that intense solar radiation can disrupt flight control computers, causing global delays. Around 6,000 A320 aircraft face the issue, which represents half the company’s fleet. Most planes can fly again after a quick software update. The UK aviation regulator warns of disruption and cancellations, though airports report limited impact.
Discovery Follows Sudden Altitude Loss
Airbus identifies the flaw after investigating an October incident in which a plane between the US and Mexico suddenly lost altitude. The JetBlue aircraft lands urgently in Florida after at least 15 people suffer injuries. The issue affects the A320 and also the A318, A319 and A321 models.
Airlines Race To Apply Fixes
Around 5,100 aircraft need a simple software update that takes about three hours. The remaining 900 older planes require new onboard computers and cannot carry passengers until replacement work finishes. The timeline depends on available hardware. Airbus apologises for the disruption and acknowledges operational problems for travellers and airlines.
Airports Report Mixed Impact
Aviation analyst Sally Gethin says the situation is highly unusual and adds that disruption depends on each airline’s upgrade strategy. London’s Gatwick Airport reports some delays, while Heathrow sees no cancellations. Manchester Airport does not expect major issues. British Airways faces limited impact. Wizz Air and Air India have already started updates.
Airlines Worldwide Manage Delays
Public data shows Air France faces significant disruption with 50 cancelled flights from its Paris hub on Saturday morning, according to a travel journalist. EasyJet expects some disruption but says it has already updated many aircraft and plans a full Saturday schedule. In the US, the issue emerges during the busy Thanksgiving weekend. American Airlines says 340 planes are affected and warns of some delays but expects most updates to finish by Saturday. Delta expects limited impact.
Australian Flights Also Affected
Jetstar cancels 90 flights after confirming that one third of its fleet is affected. Disruption will continue through the weekend despite most updates already completed. Tim Johnson from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority says the notice from Airbus will cause delays or cancellations but stresses that aviation remains extremely safe. He calls the grounding a very rare event.
Officials Welcome Fast Response
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander says the impact on UK airlines seems limited. She welcomes the swift global response and highlights strong international safety standards.
Software Glitch Linked To Solar Radiation
The problem involves software that calculates a plane’s elevation. Airbus discovers that solar radiation at high altitudes can corrupt this data. This flaw caused the October altitude drop but has not triggered any other known incident. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issues an emergency directive that requires airlines to fix the problem before carrying passengers. Aircraft may operate ferry flights without passengers to reach maintenance bases.
Fly-By-Wire Systems Require Perfect Data
The A320 family uses fly-by-wire controls that rely entirely on computer processing. Pilots send inputs to computers rather than using direct mechanical links, which raises the need for flawless data at all times.
