Global air travel is facing major disruption after aerospace giant Airbus issued an immediate recall of around 6,000 of its A320 family planes, representing almost half of the global fleet of that model.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued an urgent directive saying the “precaution” was prompted by a recent incident.
According to investigations, intense solar radiation could corrupt critical data from flight control computers.
Industry sources identified the triggering event as an Oct. 30 JetBlue flight from Mexico to the United States that experienced a sudden drop in altitude, injuring 15 passengers.
The recall involves reverting to an earlier version of the elevator and aileron computer (ELAC) software.
While the update itself is fairly simple, it must be completed before each plane can be returned to service, forcing airlines around the world to ground their planes.
Faced with immediate consequences, American Airlines, the world’s largest A320 operator, said 340 of its 480 aircraft needed an update.
In Japan, All Nippon Airways (ANA) canceled 65 flights on Saturday November 29.
The Colombian company Avianca, of which more than 70% of its fleet is affected, has stopped the sale of tickets for its upcoming trips.
The timing coincides with the busy Thanksgiving weekend in the United States. However, the UK Transport Secretary noted that the impact on UK airlines appeared “limited”. This recall is one of the most important in Airbus’ 55-year history.
