Airlines from different parts of the world were heavily disrupted when Airbus admitted to a critical software problem, which was connected to the vulnerability of the A320 during solar flares, and issued a worldwide advisory.
The announcement came immediately after an incident with a JetBlue A320 when faulty data led to a sudden nose-drop of the plane in mid-air. Airbus’s claims that solar radiation may have interfered with flight control data provoked safety issues of high urgency.
Airlines worldwide faced disruption after Airbus revealed A320 solar flare vulnerability.
What Led To Widespread Airport Chaos In Australia?
Jetstar was the first airline to experience operational disturbances when it found out that 34 of its 85 A320 and A321 planes were affected by the issue. The airline has already cancelled about 90 flights and was facing severe delays while the updates were still being done.
The airports in Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide witnessed long queues of passengers trying to find out if there were any alternatives, as Jetstar had already informed that some flights were still on hold until the updates were done. Qantas stated that its A320 operations remained unaffected.
How Many Aircraft Are Impacted By The Airbus A320 Warning?
According to Airbus, the number of operational A320 family jets that will need a software update is estimated to be around 6,000. The advisory requires “immediate precautionary action,” which implies that the airlines have to ground their aircraft till the updates are done.
Most fixes usually take a few hours, but around 1,000 planes might be out for weeks. The Airbus urgent A320 recall is likely to affect the A320 fleet, with more than half of the global A320 fleet getting the recall, together with the meltdown of the cloud.
Airbus says about 6,000 operational A320 family jets need updates.
Airlines Begin Rolling Out Software Updates
After the Airbus A320 alert, airlines around the world rushed to update their planes. American Airlines thought that it would be able to update the “vast majority” of its 340 planes within a day.
Air France decided to cancel 35 flights, while Avianca reported that 70 per cent of its A320 fleet was affected. Air New Zealand had to ground its A320s but later was granted permission to carry on with a limited operation until the software deadline.
Solar Radiation Found At The Centre Of The Issue
Reports tell us that the Elevator and Aileron Computer from Thales was the one that experienced data corruption during solar activities that were most intense in nature.
Although Thales did acknowledge that it was a compliant supplier to Airbus, it simultaneously stated that the non-ownership of the software was the reason for the functionality failure. Solar flare vulnerability of the A320 has escalated the question regarding the aviation industry’s risk during extreme solar events.
Passengers Face Delays And Unexpected Costs
The passengers said that confusion resulted in the cancellation of flights without warning. An Adelaide teen who was travelling to Sydney for her birthday had her last-minute cancellation done while she was about to board.
Her family managed to get seats on Virgin Australia for $2600 because there was very little availability. There are still a lot of passengers who have not received information about their refunds as the airlines cope with the disruption that has never been seen before in their schedules.
Passengers faced sudden cancellations, including an Adelaide teen’s birthday flight.
Will the A320 Solar Flare Vulnerability Change Global Safety Standards?
According to aviation industry experts, the A320 solar flare issue might be a major driver of change for the worldwide safety measures as the authorities will constantly review the impact of solar activities on flight systems.
Experts predict the radiation tolerant software certification requirements to be one of the latest issues of discussion, while the manufacturers would probably think about making the digital security stronger in order not to have such problems even during a strong solar storm.
Also Read: Qantas Drops Economy Plus Bombshell with 40% More Legroom
FAQs
Q1. What was the reason for the urgent A320 recall by Airbus?
The recall was mainly due to the flight control data corruption, which was specifically associated with intense solar radiation.
Q2. How many aircraft globally are affected?
Airbus has revealed that nearly 6,000 jets of the A320 family will require a software update.
Q3. Do all airlines face customer cancellations?
Not every airline has had to cancel flights, but many still have to deal with cancellations, delays and temporary grounding.
Q4. Are the safety measures in place for the A320 after the software update?
Yes, the A320 software update assures safety and restores normal operation as confirmed by the airlines.
