Airbus announces urgent overhaul of A320 aircraft days before the start of the holiday season

Airbus asked airlines to temporarily suspend operation of an unspecified number of aircraft from A320 family - which includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321 models - to implement a software update aimed at mitigating a recently detected risk. The manufacturer acknowledges that the decision will generate "operational disruptions for passengers and customers."

The warning was triggered following a recent event with an aircraft of this family in which it was noted that intense solar radiation can corrupt critical data used by flight control systems. Airbus says there are a "significant" number of aircraft in service that could be affected, but has not provided a specific figure.

Airbus issues global alert to airlines

Faced with this scenario, the manufacturer says it has acted in coordination with regulators to activate immediate measures. In its statement, Airbus says it has worked "proactively with the aviation authorities to request immediate precautionary action from operators via an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT)."

The objective of this instruction is for airlines to implement "available software and/or hardware protection, and ensure the fleet is safe to fly." Airbus further confirms that this AOT will be incorporated into an Emergency Airworthiness Directive issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

A heads-up right before the holiday season

The statement comes just ahead of one of the busiest travel times of the year. Reports state that the move could involve around 6,000 A320 family aircraft, which would represent about half of those in operation worldwide. Airbus has not confirmed that estimate.