Airbus orders urgent software fix for thousands of A320 jets
প্রকাশ: শুক্রবার । নভেম্বর ২৮, ২০২৫
Airbus has issued a global safety alert for its A320-family aircraft after internal analysis found that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to flight-control systems. The company has identified a substantial number of in-service jets potentially affected, AFP reports.
According to the manufacturer, the risk stems from solar radiation interfering with onboard data integrity—a rare, environmentally linked threat rather than a conventional mechanical fault. To address it, Airbus has issued an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT), instructing airlines to apply immediate software updates and, where required, hardware protections before the aircraft fly again.
An official from Airbus said the AOT will be followed by an Emergency Airworthiness Directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which will require affected airlines to comply with protective measures across their A320 fleets.
According to Gulf News, industry sources estimate that the recall—involving software or hardware upgrades—could apply to around 6,000 A320-family jets out of the global fleet, representing over half of all active aircraft in that family.
Airbus warns that implementing these updates may lead to “operational disruptions,” including short-term groundings or delayed flights, depending on each airline’s maintenance capacity and schedule flexibility.
For many airlines—particularly those dependent on A320-family planes for short- and medium-haul routes—the timing could pose significant logistical challenges, especially during high-traffic travel periods.
Aircraft systems are typically shielded against various hazards, but the finding that solar radiation—a natural and sometimes unpredictable factor—can corrupt flight-control data is unusual. The anomaly was discovered after what Airbus called a “recent event” involving an A320 jet.