(qlmbusinessnews.com . Sat 29th Nov, 2025) London, UK —
A320 Family Flights Face Disruptions Amid Essential Solar Radiation Shielding Updates
Aircraft Manufacturer Airbus Urges Immediate Modifications Due to Solar Radiation Concerns
Airlines globally are bracing for potential flight delays following Airbus's call for immediate modifications to approximately 6,000 of its aircraft. This substantial figure constitutes around half of the European aerospace colossus's worldwide fleet. The move comes after the discovery that solar radiation could interfere with critical flight control data.
The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has warned that executing these software updates is likely to introduce “some disruptions and cancellations” to flight schedules. This announcement comes in the wake of an alarming incident in the US involving an Airbus A320, which necessitated an emergency landing in Florida on October 30th after a sudden altitude drop, injuring at least 15 individuals.
The core of the issue pertains to the Airbus A320 family, including the A318, A319, and A321 models, renowned for being the manufacturer's most popular aircraft. It is revealed that a straightforward software update, requiring about three hours, can resolve the problem on approximately 5,100 planes. However, around 900 older models demand computer replacements and are barred from transporting passengers until the modifications are complete, with the timeframe being contingent on the availability of the required components.
Apologies have been issued by Airbus in light of the anticipated “operational disruption to passengers and customers.” This situation, described as “highly unusual” by aviation analyst Sally Gethin, poses a significant inconvenience, with airlines adopting varied approaches to implement the necessary software enhancements.
Both of London's prime airports, Heathrow and Gatwick, have relayed their operational status post-announcement, with Heathrow seeing no immediate effects and Gatwick acknowledging “some disruption.” Proactively, EasyJet has commenced and largely completed the software updates on numerous aircraft, aiming for minimal disruption to its Saturday flight program.
In contrast, British Airways appears to be less affected by the issue, while Wizz Air and Air India have indicated that their operations could face delays due to the Airbus mandate. The timing coincides with Thanksgiving in the US, threatening to intensify the holiday travel chaos with American Airlines expecting “some operational delays” from the 340 impacted planes within its fleet.
The UK's CAA emphasizes the rarity of such events, underscoring aviation's status as one of the safest travel modes thanks to stringent maintenance protocols. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander commended the swift identification and remediation of the issue, highlighting the robust standards of aviation safety globally.
This predicament arises from solar radiation's potential to impair the functionality of the ELAC computer, essential for controlling the aircraft's elevators and ailerons. Airbus has underscored that the JetBlue occurrence remains an isolated incident, nevertheless prompting an emergency airworthiness directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to replace the ELAC computers on the most severely impacted aircraft prior to any passenger flights.
The A320 family, known for its “fly by wire” technology, relies on computer systems to translate cockpit controls into physical aircraft manoeuvres, emphasizing the critical nature of this technological safeguard against solar radiation-induced anomalies.
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