Numerous Airbus aircraft are resuming standard operations after a short grounding caused by a notification that solar radiation might disrupt onboard systems.
The French aerospace manufacturer reported that around 6,000 of its A320 aircraft were impacted, with the majority needing a swift software modification. Approximately 900 older models require a new computer unit.
On Saturday, the French Minister of Transport, Philippe Tabarot, indicated that the software updates went ‘very smoothly’ for over 5,000 airplanes, with less than 100 still pending the upgrade.
Airbus chief executive, Guillaume Faury, expressed his apologies for what he referred to as ‘logistical challenges and delays’. He noted that his teams were diligently working to conclude the updates ‘as swiftly as possible.’
During Saturday morning, multiple Air France flights arriving at and departing from Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport faced delays or cancellations.
American Airlines anticipated ‘operational delays’, yet stated that the overwhelming majority of updates would be finalized by Saturday.
In contrast, Delta Airlines assessed that their operations would experience minimal disruption due to the situation.
Response from Aviation Authorities
The UK Civil Aviation Authority reported that airlines operating within the nation worked through the night to implement the updates, and air traffic had not been significantly disrupted.
Gatwick Airport in London noted ‘some disruption’, while Heathrow reported that no cancellations had occurred.
Manchester Airport did not foresee major issues, and Luton Airport indicated that ‘no impact was expected.’
It is believed that British Airways and Air India were not significantly affected by the circumstances.
EasyJet announced that it had successfully executed the update on a ‘significant number’ of its aircraft and intended to continue its operations as usual.
Wizz Air also reported normal operations after completing updates overnight.
Impact on International Flights
In Australia, low-cost carrier Jetstar canceled 90 flights, although most of its fleet has now undergone the necessary updates. However, some disruptions are anticipated to continue through the weekend.
Air New Zealand had grounded its A320 aircraft, but all flights have now resumed following the completion of updates.
The issue was initially identified by Airbus after a JetBlue Airways flight, traveling between the United States and Mexico, unexpectedly lost altitude and made an emergency landing in October, injuring at least 15 passengers.
The company pinpointed a fault in the aircraft’s computing software, which is responsible for calculating the plane’s altitude, discovering that at higher altitudes, essential data could be damaged by high levels of solar radiation released intermittently by the Sun.
In addition to the A320, other popular models such as the A318, A319, and A321 were also affected.
Older aircraft that necessitate computer replacements remain out of service, with the duration of the grounding dependent on the availability of new parts.
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