Urgent Software Update Required for Airbus A320 Aircraft
Airbus has warned that critical flight-control data on thousands of A320-family aircraft could become corrupted due to “intense solar radiation,” and has issued an urgent call for all operators to install a software update. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) released an Emergency Airworthiness Directive, ordering that A320s with certain hardware–software combinations must remain on the ground until the update is completed.
The move followed an incident on October 30 involving a JetBlue A320 operating from Cancun to Newark. The aircraft suddenly lost about 100 feet of altitude in seven seconds and diverted to Tampa. Twenty passengers were reported injured. Investigators said the issue pointed to possible data corruption caused by solar activity.
The software update reportedly takes about three hours per aircraft.
Airbus sources say between 5,000 and 6,000 A320-family aircraft require the update. EASA’s directive takes effect Saturday at 7 p.m. EST. Aircraft still awaiting the update may only operate up to three ferry (empty) flights to reach a maintenance facility.
U.S. airlines operate hundreds of A320s. American Airlines said it reduced the number of affected aircraft to 209 and expected rapid progress on the updates. Delta reported that only a small part of its fleet is affected, while United said only six aircraft require the fix.
Airline Statements
American Airlines confirmed that 209 aircraft in its fleet are affected after receiving additional technical details from Airbus. The airline said all teams were “fully mobilized,” with the majority of updates expected to be completed throughout the day and overnight. They aim to finish all work by Saturday.
Air India stated it is fully complying with EASA and Airbus directives, emphasizing safety as the top priority. Mandatory software and hardware corrections across the A320 fleet are underway, and more than 40% of the affected aircraft have already been updated. The airline said it is confident all updates will be completed within the timeframe set by EASA.
Air New Zealand grounded its entire A320neo fleet earlier in the morning as a precaution due to the global software issue. According to EASA’s updated guidance, aircraft without the software revision may continue passenger operations until 12:59 p.m. NZT on November 30. The airline plans to use this window to minimize operational disruption and complete updates quickly. It emphasized that “there is no immediate safety risk.
”Delta Air Lines said fewer than 50 of its A320s are affected. The airline underscored that “safety comes before everything” and confirmed full compliance with EASA instructions, while expecting only limited operational impact.
Statements From Regulators
EASA said roughly 6,000 A320-family aircraft are affected. Under the Emergency Airworthiness Directive, aircraft without the software update will not be allowed to operate passenger flights after November 29. The update takes about three hours per airplane. EASA noted that some schedule disruptions are inevitable but reminded that safety is always the top priority in aviation.
