Airlines around the world faced fresh disruption on Saturday after Airbus warned that up to 6,000 A320-family aircraft may need software upgrades to address a newly identified flight-control vulnerability. The alert followed an October incident in which a JetBlue A320 experienced a sudden nose-down movement due to a computer malfunction.
Airbus urged operators to take “immediate precautionary action,” saying intense solar radiation could corrupt data essential for flight controls. While most aircraft can be updated within hours, around 1,000 will require weeks of work, a source told AFP.
Air France said it was assessing further cancellations after scrapping 35 flights on Friday. Avianca reported that 70% of its fleet had been affected, warning of major disruption. Carriers in the United States, India and the Philippines also announced delays or grounded services.
The EU Aviation Safety Agency cautioned that the measures would cause short-term disruption but stressed that passenger safety “is paramount.”
