Airbus A320: Update on fleet software safety measures

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  • Airbus has confirmed that the vast majority of its 6,000 A320 family aircraft affected by a rare avionics issue have returned to service following urgent software updates.
  • Airbus apologized for the disruption, saying: “We thank our customers, authorities and partners for their support and understanding of our decision to put safety above all other considerations.” Airlines around the world worked quickly to implement fixes, with minimal long-term disruption reported.

Thousands of Airbus A320 family aircraft, which were grounded last week due to the risk of rare solar radiation interference, are largely back in service, following the rapid rollout of software updates across global fleets.

On 28 November, Airbus issued an Alert to Operators (AOT) advising immediate precautionary measures for approximately 6,000 A320 family aircraft in service – including the A318, A319, A320 and A321. The AOT followed an investigation into a serious on-board incident in October, in which a JetBlue Airways flight between the US and Mexico unexpectedly lost altitude due to corrupted altitude data. At least 15 people were injured during the emergency landing.

Airbus engineers traced the anomaly to vulnerabilities in computing software, which – under intense solar radiation at high altitudes – could corrupt data input into aircraft systems that calculate altitude. This risk led to the precautionary grounding of aircraft while software patches were installed.

According to Airbus, most aircraft only need a software update to mitigate the risks. However, about 900 older aircraft need a complete replacement of their flight computers, and fewer than 100 aircraft globally remain affected as of the latest update.

Airbus said in an official statement:

“Out of a total of approximately 6,000 potentially affected aircraft, the vast majority have now received the necessary modifications.”

“We are working with our airline customers to support the modification of the fewer than 100 remaining aircraft to ensure they can be returned to service,” Airbus added.

Airbus has issued an apology to operators, regulators and passengers:

“Airbus apologizes for any challenges and delays caused by this event to passengers and airlines. The company thanks its customers, the authorities, its employees and all relevant stakeholders for their support in implementing these measures, and for their understanding of Airbus’ decision to put safety above all other considerations.”

Despite the scope of the warning, most airlines acted quickly. Air France, EasyJet, Wizz Air and Delta were among those who worked through the night to deploy the software patch. In the United Kingdom, the Civil Aviation Authority reported that flights were largely unaffected, with Heathrow, Manchester and Luton airports confirming that there was no major impact. Gatwick has seen some delays.

In the United States, American Airlines and Delta said the update had minimal operational impact. In Australia, Jetstar canceled about 90 flights but resumed operations within days. Air New Zealand also temporarily grounded its A320 aircraft but has since resumed full service.

It was a rare but powerful reminder of how space weather phenomena — such as solar flares or cosmic radiation — affect aircraft avionics, especially at high cruise altitudes where shielding is more difficult.

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury also issued a personal statement earlier, acknowledging the disruption and thanking all stakeholders for their quick response.

“We deeply regret the disruption caused by this precautionary measure, but safety must always come first,” Faury said. “We are fully committed to supporting our operators during the final phase of modifications.”



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