Airbus Recalls A320 Fleet For Repairs, Indian Airlines Issue Advisory Amid Travel Disruption Fears

Last Updated:November 29, 2025, 07:28 IST

Airbus grounded over 6,000 A320 jets for urgent software updates after a JetBlue incident linked to solar radiation, causing travel disruptions fears.

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Airbus has grounded more than 6,000 of its popular jets for an urgent software update after one aircraft suddenly lost altitude mid-flight — a move that could severely disrupt global holiday travel. The company announced Friday that its A320 fleet will remain grounded after investigators uncovered a software flaw that could prevent pilots from steering during solar storms. Airbus urged all airlines operating the jet to immediately install the update to protect against radiation interference. About 3,000 A320s were airborne at the time of the announcement.

According to Airbus’ bulletin, “Analysis of a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the function of flight controls." The notice added that “Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in-service which may be impacted. Airbus acknowledges these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers."

The issue surfaced after the Federal Aviation Administration investigated an Oct. 30 JetBlue flight from Cancun to Newark that suddenly dropped in altitude, injuring 15 passengers and forcing an emergency landing in Florida. Investigators determined that intense solar radiation had corrupted the aircraft’s flight control computers, causing it to lose positioning data and fall from 35,000 feet to 10,000 feet.

Airlines across the US, South America, Europe, and India cautioned that the emergency updates could lead to significant delays and cancellations. American Airlines — the largest A320 operator — said 340 of its 480 aircraft require the update, which takes about two hours per plane, and expects repairs to be finished by Saturday. Lufthansa, IndiGo, and easyJet also reported briefly removing aircraft from service to complete the fixes. Colombian carrier Avianca warned that the recall will affect more than 70% of its fleet and has halted ticket sales for travel through December 8.

This recall is the largest in Airbus’ 55-year history. The company said, “Airbus has worked proactively with the aviation authorities to request immediate precautionary action from operators via an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT) in order to implement the available software and/or hardware protection, and ensure the fleet is safe to fly." It added, “We apologise for the inconvenience caused and will work closely with operators, while keeping safety as our number one and overriding priority."

News world Airbus Recalls A320 Fleet For Repairs, Indian Airlines Issue Advisory Amid Travel Disruption Fears

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