Airbus fleets resumed near-normal operations on Monday after the European manufacturer accelerated emergency software changes faster than expected while dealing with safety headlines traditionally associated with rival Boeing.
Dozens of airlines from Asia to the United States said they carried out an emergency software update ordered by Airbus and required by global regulators after a solar flare vulnerability was discovered in a recent mid-flight accident involving a JetBlue A320.
But some companies need a longer process, and Colombian airline Avianca continued to suspend flight reservations until December 8.
The unprecedented decision to recall about half of the A320 family fleet (6,000 aircraft) was made shortly after a possible, though unproven, connection between the JetBlue accident and loss of altitude emerged late last week, sources familiar with the matter said.
After talks with regulators, Airbus on Friday (28) issued an eight-page alert to hundreds of operators, effectively ordering a temporary halt by ordering repairs before the next flight.
“The statement came out at around 9pm (Jeddah time) and I got back here at 9.30pm,” said Stephen Greenway, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s low-cost flyadeal. “I was surprised at how quickly we were able to resolve everything – there are always complications.”
These instructions were considered the most comprehensive emergency recall in the company’s history and raised immediate concerns of travel disruptions, especially during the busy Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.
Industry sources said the comprehensive alert revealed that Airbus had no real-time visibility into the version of the software installed, due to delays in reporting.
Initially, the companies had difficulty measuring the impact, as the alert did not include specific serial numbers for the affected aircraft. A Finnair passenger reported that the flight was delayed on the runway for analysis.
Within 24 hours, engineers were able to identify individual aircraft. Several companies have revised downward their estimates of the number of aircraft damaged and the time required for repair, which Airbus initially estimated at three hours per unit.
“That has dropped a lot,” an industry source said on Sunday (30), referring to the total number of aircraft involved. Airbus has not commented beyond the November 28 statement.
The fix was to revert to an earlier version of the software that controlled the plane’s nose angle. The update includes downloading the previous version via cable using a device called a data loader, which is carried in the cabin to avoid cyber risks.
At least one major company faced delays because it didn’t have enough data upload tools to get dozens of planes up and running in such a short time, according to an executive who requested anonymity.
There are still questions about a subset of jets, generally older, in the A320 family that needs a new computer, not just a software reinstall. The sources said that the number of these aircraft has already been reduced from the initial estimate of 1,000 units.
Industry executives said the weekend’s unrest highlighted changes in the way the industry responds to crises since the Boeing 737 MAX case, in which the U.S. manufacturer was widely criticized for its handling of deadly crashes blamed on a software bug.
This is the first time that Airbus has faced global safety concern on this scale since that crisis. CEO Guillaume Faury apologized publicly, in a deliberate change of tone for an industry under pressure from lawsuits and conservative communications practices. Boeing has also adopted a more open stance.
“Airbus is clearly acting with the Boeing Max issue in mind — every airline does,” said Ron Torossian, head of public relations for 5W in New York. “Boeing has paid a reputational price for indecision and a lack of transparency. Airbus wants to show that it is willing to say: We could have done better. This resonates with regulators, customers and the public.”