European planemaker Airbus on Friday ordered airlines to apply an immediate software update to thousands of A320-family jets after finding a bug that could affect flight controls during intense solar radiation. Analysis of a recent incident showed that “intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls,” the company said.
The problem followed a JetBlue A320 flight from Cancun (CUN) to Newark (EWR) on Oct. 30 that experienced a sudden altitude drop and injured 15 people. About 6,000 A320-family aircraft globally are affected — roughly half the worldwide fleet of the narrow-body type. U.S. operators have 1,622 A320-family jets in service, according to data firm Cirium, though not all are subject to the fix.
Airlines said the remedy is a relatively quick software update that takes about two hours to install, limiting operational disruption ahead of a busy post-Thanksgiving travel weekend.
American Airlines, the largest A320-family operator, reported 209 affected aircraft out of 475 in service. By 7 p.m. ET, fewer than 150 were awaiting the update, with the vast majority expected to be completed by Saturday morning. The carrier emphasized safety and thanked customers for their patience.
A person familiar with the situation described expected passenger-impact as “minimal.”
Delta Air Lines, with 305 A320-family jets in service, identified fewer than 50 A321neo aircraft requiring the update and planned to finish installations by Saturday morning, predicting only limited operational effects.
United Airlines, which operates 201 A320-family aircraft, said only six planes required the fix and did not expect schedule disruptions. JetBlue, which flies 220 A320-family jets, did not immediately comment.
Outside the U.S., some carriers faced larger impacts. Colombia’s Avianca said more than 70% of its fleet was affected, prompting it to suspend ticket sales through Dec. 8.
Travelers should check flight status in their airline’s app for updates and monitor news sources for any further developments. Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and have not been endorsed by any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain.
