Post by : Badri Ariffin

On Friday, air travel was disrupted across various continents following an urgent alert from Airbus regarding a solar radiation issue that may compromise flight-control data in A320-family aircraft, the most commonly used jets worldwide.

The precautionary measures directed at airlines led to a wave of cancellations and delays as carriers worked to evaluate their fleets and implement necessary software updates.

Air France announced the cancellation of 35 flights throughout Friday, and is assessing additional disruptions for the upcoming weekend. Colombian airline Avianca revealed that nearly 70 percent of its operational fleet has been affected by this software glitch, anticipating significant disruptions in the next ten days. Meanwhile, American Airlines commenced servicing about 340 impacted aircraft, warning passengers of potential delays during the update process.

The risk of malfunction was first identified after a JetBlue-operated A320 encountered a sudden control issue while flying from Cancun to Newark on October 30, necessitating an emergency landing in Tampa. Local officials reported passenger injuries stemming from the incident.

Airbus noted that this software update may be required for approximately 6,000 A320-family jets currently in operation. While many software upgrades are anticipated to be completed within a few hours, around 1,000 aircraft may require more extensive work, possibly affecting global flight schedules into December.

Thales, the producer of the flight-control computer, confirmed that all hardware met necessary specifications but pointed out that the issue lies within the software, which is outside its purview. Specifics about the software supplier were not disclosed in the Airbus advisory.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has acknowledged receipt of this information, advising passengers to prepare for short-term disruptions, while emphasising that safety takes precedence over convenience.

Despite the widespread effects, some airlines reported minimal impact. United Airlines stated that it was not affected by the issue without further elaboration.

With over 12,000 A320-family aircraft sold since 1988, this alert has prompted one of the more considerable operational challenges airlines have faced in recent years. As companies strive to stabilise their flight schedules, travelers are encouraged to remain vigilant for last-minute updates as technical fixes begin to roll out.

#tourism #Travel