Bangkok: European aviation giant Airbus has initiated a recall affecting approximately 6,000 A320 aircraft worldwide to address a critical issue with the flight control software system. Several airlines across different continents are experiencing disruptions as they work to update their aircraft systems promptly.
According to Thai News Agency, Airbus released a statement urging airlines to update the software immediately, emphasizing the risk posed by intense solar radiation that can corrupt data essential for flight control systems. The company acknowledged potential flight disruptions due to the urgent nature of the update and issued an apology for any inconvenience caused.
The issue came to light after reports emerged of a US passenger plane experiencing a sudden descent last month, which resulted in injuries to several passengers. Despite the urgency, the software update process for each aircraft is relatively swift, taking between two to four hours, and is expected to be completed by Sunday.
The recall has had significant impacts on various airlines. Colombia’s national carrier reported that over 70 percent of its fleet is affected, leading to a suspension of ticket sales until December 8. In Australia, Jetstar has seen 90 flights impacted, while Japan’s All Nippon Airways has had to cancel 95 flights as a result of the recall. These instances highlight the widespread effect of Airbus’s decision to ensure the safety and reliability of its A320 aircraft.