Airlines reported around the world Interruptions In the short term at the beginning of the weekend while they corrected programming to A320 aircraftfrom the French manufacturer AirbusAfter the analysis showed that Computer symbol It may have contributed to the sudden drop in flight altitude JetBluefrom Cancun To Newark last month. Airbus said on Friday (28) that the investigation into the JetBlue incident revealed that intense solar radiation could corrupt data important for the operation of the flight controls of this family of aircraft.
The US government’s air transportation agency, Angolan Armed Forcesjoin European Union Aviation Safety Agency Asking airlines to solve the problem with a new software update. More than 500 aircraft registered in the United States will be affected. The European Safety Agency said this could cause “short-term disruptions” to flight schedules. According to the entity, the problem arose due to a software update on the computers on board the plane.
CEO of Airbus, Instant cloudsHe apologized to customers after the mandatory repair led to “significant logistical challenges and delays”. “Our teams are working day and night to support our operators and ensure these updates are implemented as quickly as possible, so that the aircraft can return to the air and resume normal operations, with the safety you expect from Airbus,” he wrote in a message posted on LinkedIn this Saturday (29).
Thanksgiving holiday disruptions in the United States
The program change comes as travelers in the United States begin returning from their trips to Thanksgiving holidaythe busiest travel period in the country.
the American Airlines It has about 480 A320 family aircraft, of which 209 are affected. The company said the fix should take about two hours on many planes, and that updates will be completed for the vast majority by Friday. A small number will be completed on Saturday (29). The AA expected some delays but said it was focused on reducing cancellations. He stressed that security will remain his top priority.
node Japanthe All Nippon AirwaysThe airline, which operates more than 30 aircraft, canceled 65 domestic flights on Saturday. The company said additional cancellations may occur on Sunday.
the Air India Social Network X reported that its engineers were working on the patch and had already completed the procedure on more than 40% of the aircraft that required the update. The company said there were no cancellations. the Delta The company said the problem is expected to affect fewer than 50 A321neo aircraft. United said six planes from its fleet were affected, and it expects only minor disruptions on some flights. the Hawaiian Airlines He claimed he was not affected.
The Pope’s plane also needs repair
the Pope Leo XIV On his first international trip to Türkiye and LebanonHe travels with his entourage and the press on board an Airbus A320neo aircraft ETA Airlines. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Saturday that the ITA was working to resolve the problem. He said that the component needed to modernize the plane is on its way to Istanbul with the technician responsible for the installation. Liao was scheduled to travel from Istanbul, Türkiye, to Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday afternoon (30).
European flights return to normal
In France, Transport Minister Philippe Tabaro stated that the situation has stabilized as several software updates have already been installed. He told the BFM television network that the impact on the country was limited, with “an almost complete return to normal life at French airports.” In the United Kingdom, disruption was also minimal. British Airways stated that only three of its planes needed to be upgraded, while EasyJet indicated that there might be changes to its flight schedule due to the procedure, and that passengers would be informed if this happened.
German carrier Lufthansa said most of the updates were completed overnight and Saturday morning. The company said that it does not expect cancellation of flights from the group’s companies due to the current situation, but minor delays may occur throughout the weekend. Scandinavian airline SAS said its flights were operating normally on Saturday after its crews worked through the night to install the necessary software.
Mike Stengel, a partner at AeroDynamic Advisory, an aviation industry consulting firm, said the correction can be done between flights or during nighttime inspections of aircraft. “It’s certainly not ideal for this to happen with such a widely used aircraft on a busy weekend,” said Stengel, of Ann Arbor, Michigan. “However, the positive point is that the software update will only take a few hours.”
At least 15 JetBlue passengers were injured and hospitalized after the Oct. 30 accident on a flight en route from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey. The plane was diverted to Tampa, Florida.
Airbus, registered in the Netherlands but headquartered in France, is one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers, along with Boeing. The A320 is the main competitor to the Boeing 737, Stengel said. Airbus updated the model’s engine in mid-2010, and planes in this category are called the A320neo. According to the manufacturer’s website, the A320 is the world’s best-selling single-aisle family of aircraft.