Airbus planes grounded due to faulty software, causing travel disruption for thousands

Global airlines have halted operations of thousands of Airbus aircraft after identifying a software malfunction that may have caused a sudden altitude drop on a flight last month, injuring 15 passengers. Approximately 6,000 A320 jets are affected, resulting in widespread delays and cancellations over the weekend.

Airbus confirmed on Friday that an investigation into the JetBlue incident indicated that strong solar radiation could interfere with critical flight control data on the A320 series. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) stated that the problem originated from a recent software update to the aircrafts onboard systems.

Both EASA and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration have instructed airlines to implement a rapid software patch, which could temporarily disrupt flight schedules. The UK aviation regulator also warned of potential cancellations and delays. Around 500 U.S.-registered planes are expected to be affected, coinciding with the Thanksgiving travel period, one of the busiest in the country.

American Airlines, which operates roughly 480 A320-family aircraft, reported that 209 of its planes require the update. The airline estimated that the fix would take around two hours per aircraft and expected most planes to be updated by Friday, with a few completed on Saturday. The airline emphasized that safety remains the top priority despite potential minor delays.

EasyJet informed passengers that the software update could cause temporary schedule changes. Air India confirmed that its engineers have completed the update on over 40% of affected aircraft, with no cancellations reported.

The flight control system involved is the Thales computer, in service since March 2001, logging about 50 million flight hours annually across 10,000 A320 aircraft. The issue stems from software known as the Elevator and Aileron Computer (ELAC), which is maintained separately from Thales.

The October 30 incident involved a JetBlue flight from Cancn, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey, during which at least 15 passengers were injured and hospitalized. The plane was diverted to Tampa, Florida.

Airbus, alongside Boeing, remains one of the leading aircraft manufacturers globally.

Author: Sophia Brooks