Software issue hits thousands of Airbus planes – UK passengers warned of potential disruption

Airline passengers have been warned of potential travel disruption after thousands of Airbus planes were impacted by a software issue.

Airlines are racing to implement the required software update in order to return aircraft back into service and minimise disruption.

In a statement, plane-maker Airbus said: “Analysis of a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls.

“Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in-service which may be impacted.”

EasyJet, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Indigo, Lufthansa, American Airlines, Delta, Air New Zealand, Flynas and Wizz Air were all affected by the issue – although the severity of the impact varies depending on the carrier.

It is understood the incident that triggered the software warning involved a JetBlue flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark on 30 October.

That flight was diverted to Florida’s Tampa International Airport after it suffered a flight control issue and experienced a sharp loss of altitude, which injured several passengers.

An Airbus spokesperson told Sky News the necessary software change would affect up to 6,000 planes.

The fix involves A320 aircraft reverting to an earlier software update, with planes unable to fly passengers until this has been completed, according to a bulletin to airlines.

Airbus stressed that for most of the affected aircraft, the required software update would only take two to three hours. However, some aircraft would need new hardware to be able to adopt the required software and those aircraft would be affected for longer.

‘Concerning’

Travel expert Simon Calder said the situation was “very concerning” but that he had full faith in the safety procedures of Airbus and airlines. He went on to say that “aviation remains extraordinarily safe”.

However, he warned that customers may not be entitled to cash compensation if affected by delays, as the issue would be considered out of the control of airlines.

Gatwick Airport has said the software directive “may result in some disruption” and urged passengers to contact their airlines for more information.

Airbus told Sky News that it had proactively asked the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to issue an air worthiness directive for the affected aircraft.

The company said the issue is only affecting A320s that are in service, not aircraft that are due to be delivered.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority said it was likely to mean some disruption and cancellation to flights.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “The good news is it seems the impact on UK airlines seems limited, with a smaller number of aircraft requiring more complex software and hardware changes.”

She added that it was “heartening this issue has been identified and will be addressed so swiftly”, saying that this demonstrated “the high aviation safety standards globally”.

Read more:
Which airlines are affected by Airbus disruption?
Why plane’s sudden drop in altitude led to thousands needing software updates

What have airlines said?

In a statement, easyJet said it had “commenced and already completed the software update on many aircraft which require them and continue to work closely with the safety authorities”.

“We plan to operate our flying programme normally on Saturday and ask that customers travelling continue to monitor their flights on flight tracker,” it added.

American Airlines said the Airbus software issue would impact 340 aircraft and it expected some operational delays.

Irish carrier Aer Lingus said a limited number of aircraft were impacted and it was taking steps to complete the required software installation. It expects there will be no significant operational disruption.

Wizz Air said some of its flights over the weekend may be affected, while Air India said the issue could lead to delays.

Colombian airline Avianca announced that it would close ticket sales for 10 days due to the issue.

British Airways told Sky News that only three of its aircraft were affected and it was not expected to disrupt its operations.

Heathrow Airport is not currently expecting any disruption to its services.

In October, the Airbus A320 family broke a major milestone when it overtook Boeing’s 737 to become the most-delivered jetliner in history.