Airbus orders urgent software fix for thousands of A320 jets

Airbus has issued a global safety alert for its A320-family aircraft after internal analysis found that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to flight-control systems. The company has identified a substantial number of in-service jets potentially affected.

According to the manufacturer, the risk stems from solar radiation interfering with onboard data integrity — a rare, environmental-linked threat rather than a conventional mechanical fault. To address it, Airbus has issued an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT), instructing airlines to apply immediate software updates and, where required, hardware protections before the aircraft fly again.

An official from Airbus said the AOT will be followed by an Emergency Airworthiness Directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which will require affected airlines to comply with protective measures across their A320 fleets.

Scale and potential disruption

Industry sources estimate that the recall — involving software or hardware upgrades — could apply to around 6,000 A320-family jets out of the global fleet, representing over half of all active aircraft in that family.

Airbus warns that implementing these updates may lead to “operational disruptions,” including short-term groundings or delayed flights, depending on each airline’s maintenance capacity and schedule flexibility.

For many airlines — particularly those dependent on A320-family planes for short- and medium-haul routes — the timing could pose significant logistical challenges, especially during high-traffic travel periods.

Why solar radiation breached flight-control safeguards — and what’s next

Aircraft systems are typically shielded against a variety of hazards, but the finding that solar radiation — a natural and sometimes unpredictable factor — can corrupt flight-control data is unusual. The anomaly was discovered after what Airbus called a “recent event” involving an A320 jet.

In response, Airbus’s recommendation includes software patches to improve data integrity and, in some cases, additional hardware protections to guard against radiation-induced corruption.

EASA’s forthcoming Emergency Directive will make compliance mandatory for all operators of the affected aircraft. While Airbus emphasizes safety is its top priority, the recall underscores how even advanced aviation systems must continuously adapt to environmental and technical threats.

What travellers and airlines need to know

• Airlines operating A320-family aircraft may temporarily ground affected jets for software/hardware updates or revert to safer configurations.

• Passengers on affected flights should expect possible delays or cancellations as carriers perform required maintenance.

• For now, no accident directly linked to the solar-radiation issue has been publicly announced; the alert is precautionary.

• Regulatory bodies worldwide — including EASA — are closely monitoring developments and will enforce compliance via the forthcoming airworthiness directive.