Airbus A320 Software Fix May Cause Flight Delays Over Thanksgiving Weekend
A critical software issue has been identified in the Airbus A320 family of aircraft, which is widely used by commercial airlines globally. The problem, which contributed to a sudden drop in altitude of a JetBlue plane last month, requires a software fix that may lead to flight delays as U.S. travelers return home over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
According to Airbus, an analysis of the JetBlue incident revealed that intense solar radiation can corrupt data crucial to the functioning of flight controls aboard the A320 aircraft. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has issued a directive requiring operators of the A320 to address the issue, which may cause a “short-term disruption” to flight schedules.
Airlines Affected and Response
American Airlines, which has about 480 planes from the A320 family, of which 209 are affected, expects some delays but is focused on limiting cancellations. The airline stated that safety would be its overriding priority. The fix is expected to take about two hours for many aircraft, and updates were to be completed for the vast majority of planes on Friday, with the rest to be finished on Saturday.
Delta Air Lines expects the issue to affect fewer than 50 of its A321neo aircraft, while United Airlines said six planes in its fleet are affected and expects minor disruptions to a few flights. Hawaiian Airlines reported that it was not affected by the issue.
Expert Insight and Context
Mike Stengel, a partner with the aerospace industry management consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, noted that the fix could be addressed between flights or on overnight plane checks. Stengel stated, “Definitely not ideal for this to be happening on a very ubiquitous aircraft on a busy holiday weekend. Although again, the silver lining being that it only should take a few hours to update the software.”
The A320 is the primary competitor to Boeing’s 737 and is the world’s bestselling single-aisle aircraft family, according to Airbus’ website. The incident on October 30, which resulted in at least 15 JetBlue passengers being injured and taken to a hospital, highlights the importance of addressing this software issue promptly.
For more information on this developing story, please visit Here
Image Source: www.latimes.com
