Airbus calls for ‘immediate’ software upgrade to A320 aircraft : NPR

An American Airlines Airbus A320-211 is seen on the road at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) on January 8, 2020.

Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images

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Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images

Airbus on Friday urged airlines to take immediate action to upgrade the software on its A320 aircraft, warning that there could be problems with flight controls.

The plane maker said in a statement that it found the problem after an analysis of an incident involving an A320 aircraft found that “intense solar radiation could corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls.”

“Airbus has actively worked with aviation authorities to implement available software and/or hardware protections and request immediate precautionary actions from operators via Alert Operator Transmission (AOT) to ensure the fleet is safe to fly,” the company said.

The company also said a “large number” of A320 aircraft currently in use could be affected.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has ordered immediate software changes to a number of its Airbus A320s. The FAA is expected to issue a similar emergency airworthiness directive. NPR contacted the FAA for comment, but has not yet received a response.

Airbus confirmed to NPR that the plane analyzed was JetBlue Flight 1230, which was traveling from Cancún, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey, on October 30 when it suddenly fell from altitude, injuring several people.

The Airbus A320 family of airplanes is now the most widely used aircraft, with more than 9,000 of them flying worldwide, 1,600 of which are in the U.S., according to aviation analytics company Cirium. Airbus A320 aircraft are flown by many domestic and international airlines, and the required software update could cause “operational disruption for passengers and customers”, Airbus also said.

The needed software fix is ​​also taking place during the busy holiday travel weekend, as millions of people are set to return home.

American Airlines told NPR it took “prompt action” to address the software problem, with 340 of its A320 planes requiring software replacement, and expected the update to be completed Friday and Saturday. The airline also said it expected “some delays” but was focused on limiting flight cancellations.

“Nevertheless, our top priority will always be the safety of our operations. Everyone at our airline is ready to resolve this Airbus software issue and take care of the customers whose flights are affected,” the airline said in a statement on Friday.

Delta Air Lines told NPR in a statement Friday that it expects “any resulting operational impacts will be limited.” United Airlines said its aircraft were not affected by the software problem, and Frontier Airlines said they were currently evaluating Airbus’ notice. Allegiant Air said the airline is making every possible effort to minimize any potential delays or disruption and will contact affected passengers directly.

NPR also contacted JetBlue and Spirit Airlines for comment Friday but did not receive a response.