Airbus announced the recall of approximately 6,000 A320 aircraft to urgently replace control software vulnerable to solar radiation, following an accident in the United States at the end of October. The recall caused delays and cancellations worldwidefrom the Philippines to Colombia. The European aircraft manufacturer announced in a statement that it has asked all customers using this software to “stop flights immediately” after analyzing the technical failure. The accident occurred on October 30 on a JetBlue flight between Cancún, Mexico, and Newark, near New York. The plane had to make an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida.
L’accident analysis revealed that the intense solar radiation could corrupt data essential for the operation of flight controlsthe European group reported. For most aircraft, the software update to the previous version will take a few hours. However, for around 1,000 aircraft, this will involve replacing computer hardware, which will take weeks, according to some sources. The affected system is an elevator control computer (ELAC) manufactured by Thales. But according to Airbus the problem does not depend on the supplier. “The functionality in question is supported by software which is not the responsibility of Thales“, the note reads. Airbus did not specify which company designed and updated the faulty software.
“We apologize for the inconvenience caused and will work closely with the operators, keeping safety as our absolute and fundamental priority,” the European aircraft manufacturer added. The accident occurred during the cruise phase when, over the Gulf of Mexico, theplane suddenly nose-dived without any intervention from the pilots. The pilots began the descent and then landed the plane.
The Airbus A320, which entered service in 1988, is the best-selling aircraft in the world. As of the end of September, Airbus had delivered 12,257 A320s, compared to 12,254 Boeing 737s. JetBlue declined to comment on the incident, but explained that it had already begun the necessary modifications on “some A320s” and some A321s. Air France said it had canceled 35 flights and was still counting the exact number. “Customers affected by the cancellations are being notified individually via SMS and email,” a spokesperson said.
Airbus A320 United Airlines (Wikipedia)
American Airlines said it has already begun updating its navigation software after receiving the notification. The airline expects work to be completed on the “vast majority” of the approximately 340 affected A320 aircraft (out of a total of 480) by the weekend. “Some delays” will be due to these adjustments. After initially saying it was “not affected,” its competitor United Airlines eventually reported six affected aircraft and said to expect “minor disruption on some flights.” Air India reported delays due to the grounding of some aircraft. Delta Air Lines expects to have completed the necessary upgrades shortly on some of its A320 and A321neo fleets.
Some airlines are particularly affected. The Colombian airline Avianca, for example, estimates that 70% of its fleet is affected and expects “major disruptions over the next ten days” it said in a press release. Ticket sales are suspended until December 8. In the Philippines, local airlines Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have had to cancel more than 40 flights and offer refunds and date changes to affected passengers. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said in a statement that it had been informed by Airbus. “These measures could cause short-term disruptions to flight schedules and therefore inconvenience for passengers. However, as is always the case in the aviation industry, safety takes precedence over everything.”
