Airbus issues major A320 recall, threatening global flight disruption | South China Morning Post
Thousands of Airbus passenger jets—including the hugely popular A319, A320, and A321 models—now need an urgent fix after a rare but serious safety issue was discovered. The concern? A powerful solar storm may interfere with the aircraft’s flight-control technology, potentially making it harder for pilots to maintain control.
Airbus confirmed the issue after investigating a dramatic in-flight incident last month. On October 30, JetBlue Flight 1230, an Airbus A320 traveling from Cancun to Newark, suddenly dropped in altitude without warning. The crew diverted to Tampa, where around 15 passengers were taken to the hospital.
According to Airbus, intense solar radiation—like that from solar flares—can corrupt critical flight-control data. These aircraft rely on “fly-by-wire” systems, meaning the pilots’ physical inputs are processed electronically before moving the plane’s control surfaces. If the data gets corrupted, even briefly, the aircraft could react unpredictably.
After completing its investigation, Airbus sent an urgent “Alert Operators Transmission” to airlines, instructing them to update the affected software immediately. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) also issued an airworthiness directive requiring airlines to complete the fix before the planes can carry passengers again.
About 6,000 planes worldwide need this update. Thankfully, the repair itself is fast—usually just two hours per aircraft.
How Airlines Are Responding
- American Airlines
The carrier has around 340 affected planes. It began software updates early and expects to finish most repairs within one to two days. American warned of some delays but aims to avoid cancellations, especially during heavy travel periods. - Delta Air Lines
Fewer than 50 of Delta’s A321neo jets need the fix, which the airline expects to complete by Saturday morning. Delta noted that safety always comes first and expects minimal disruption. - United Airlines
Only six United aircraft are impacted, and the airline anticipates “minor disruption” to a few flights. - JetBlue
JetBlue, which relies heavily on A320 and A321 models, has already started repairs but did not specify how many planes are affected. The airline says it will notify customers of any schedule changes. - Southwest Airlines
No Southwest aircraft are affected, as the airline does not operate the A320 family.
Airbus emphasized that this appears to be the only known incident linked to the solar-radiation issue. Even so, the company says it is acting quickly “to keep safety as our number one priority.”
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