Airbus Orders Immediate A320 Software Update Over Flight Control Risk

Airbus has issued an urgent request for airlines worldwide to immediately upgrade software on A320 family aircraft after identifying a potential flight-control issue linked to solar radiation. The manufacturer announced Friday that an internal analysis found “intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls,” prompting the release of an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT) requiring rapid action from operators.

Airbus said it has been working “proactively with aviation authorities” to implement precautionary measures, adding that software and hardware protections are already available. The company warned that “a significant number” of A320 aircraft currently in service may be affected.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has already mandated the software change through an emergency directive, and the FAA is expected to issue a similar order. NPR contacted the FAA for comment but has not yet received a response.

Airbus confirmed that the incident prompting the investigation involved JetBlue Flight 1230, which was traveling from Cancun to Newark on October 30 when the aircraft suddenly lost altitude, injuring several passengers. The A320 underwent a detailed analysis afterward, leading engineers to detect the data-corruption vulnerability triggered by solar radiation exposure.

The Airbus A320 family is the most widely used aircraft line in the world, with over 9,000 jets in service globally and more than 1,600 in the United States, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Because the type is flown by a long list of domestic and international carriers, Airbus warned the fix could lead to “operational disruptions to passengers and customers,” especially given the timing over a major holiday travel period.

Major U.S. airlines have already begun responding to the directive. American Airlines said it took “swift action” and, as of Friday evening, had fewer than 150 aircraft left to update. The carrier expects most software replacements to be completed by Friday night or Saturday, acknowledging that “some delays” are likely but emphasizing that cancellations will be minimized.

“Still, our overriding priority will always be the safety of our operation,” American said. “It’s all hands on deck across our airline to address this Airbus software issue and take care of any customers whose flights are affected.”

Delta Air Lines reported that it anticipates only “limited” operational impact. United Airlines initially said its fleet was unaffected but later disclosed that six of its A320-family aircraft require the update and may cause “minor disruption to a few flights.” Frontier Airlines stated it is currently reviewing the Airbus notice, while Allegiant Air said it is working to minimize delays and will notify passengers on affected flights.

JetBlue confirmed that it has already begun updating impacted aircraft and intends to keep service disruptions as low as possible. NPR also contacted Spirit Airlines but has not yet received a response.

As airlines race to complete the updates, passengers traveling during the busy holiday weekend should monitor their flight status for possible delays. Airbus stressed that the immediate action is precautionary and that aircraft already updated with the new software protections remain safe to operate.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com,