Airbus A320 Solar Radiation Software Recall Grounds Half the Global Fleet

Airlines worldwide faced significant disruption as Airbus initiated an urgent recall of 6000 aircraft from its A320 family following a critical software issue uncovered after a midair incident. The action impacts over half of the nearly 11300 A320 family planes currently in operation and represents one of the largest recalls in the aircraft manufacturers history.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency ordered the repairs as a precaution after findings linked intense solar radiation to corruption of data vital for flight control systems. The principal remedy requires reinstalling earlier software versions especially in the ELAC flight system which governs aircraft pitch via commands from the pilots controls to the elevators. This process is scheduled to be completed before affected planes return to service, with each update taking roughly two hours per aircraft.

The incident that prompted this response involved a JetBlue flight from Cancun to Newark on 30 October. A sudden loss of altitude injured at least 15 passengers and led to a diversion to Tampa. The investigation traced the malfunction to the ELAC system, manufactured by Thales, though the software in question falls under the purview of Airbus. The company acknowledged the potential for operational disruption and committed to swift implementation of the required fix.

Major operators reported immediate adjustments to their schedules. American Airlines plans updates for roughly 340 of its 480 A320 aircraft, while Delta and United indicated only minor interruptions. In the Asia Pacific region, All Nippon Airways grounded several aircraft and cancelled dozens of domestic flights. Other carriers, including EasyJet, Lufthansa, and IndiGo, briefed on temporary service withdrawals. Avianca in Colombia suspended ticket sales for affected travel periods, citing the recall’s impact on more than 70 percent of its fleet.

Maintenance capacity constraints have intensified the challenge, as global airlines already contend with extended groundings due to separate engine inspections. Industry sources emphasised the scale of this intervention just as the A320 overtook the Boeing 737 as the most delivered model in commercial history.

Airbus introduced the A320 in 1984, making it the first large commercial jetliner with fly by wire computer control. The current recall draws sharp contrast with the recent safety concerns and regulatory actions faced by its main rival, the Boeing 737 MAX. Market demand for narrowbody jets remains strong, particularly in the Asia Pacific, as air travel continues its postpandemic expansion.