Airbus Orders Urgent Software Replacement on 6,000 A320 Aircraft Over Solar Radiation Risk

Airbus has mandated an immediate replacement of flight control software on approximately 6,000 A320 aircraft after a significant safety incident linked to solar radiation exposure. The decision follows an event on October 30 involving a JetBlue A320, which experienced an uncommanded descent during cruise between Cancun and Newark due to software vulnerability. Despite the pilots managing a safe landing in Tampa, Florida, reports indicated some passenger injuries.

The company alerted operators to stop flights using the affected software to prevent further safety risks. The vulnerable software allows intense solar radiation to potentially corrupt critical flight command data, posing serious safety concerns. For most aircraft, the software update can be completed in a few hours. However, about 1,000 planes require a prolonged fix involving the replacement of ELAC computers manufactured by Thales, which could take weeks.

Airbus acknowledged the operational disruptions this urgent corrective action causes but emphasized that safety remains the top priority. The A320, operational since 1988, is the world’s best-selling aircraft, having surpassed Boeing’s 737 in deliveries earlier this year, which adds to the scale of this intervention.

This urgent recall highlights the challenges of modern aircraft software safety in the face of environmental factors such as solar radiation. Airbus’s swift response underscores its commitment to passenger safety and system reliability in one of the most widely used short- to medium-haul airliners globally.