TOULOUSE — Airbus said that most of its fleet of 6,000 A320 passenger jets have received an update to fix a software glitch that could have affected flight controls.
Travellers had faced minor disruptions heading into the weekend as airlines around the world scrambled to push the software updates out to the widely used commercial jetliner. Airbus warned of the problem Friday with U.S. millions of passengers in transit for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The European planemaker said in an update Monday that the “vast majority” of the short-haul passenger jets in service “have now received the necessary modifications.”
“We are working with our airline customers to support the modification of less than 100 remaining aircraft to ensure they can be returned to service,” Toulouse, France-based Airbus said.
“Airbus apologizes for any challenges and delays caused to passengers and airlines by this event,” it said.
Airbus said it discovered that “intense solar radiation” could corrupt data that’s critical to the functioning of flight controls.
The problem is suspected of contributing to a sudden drop in altitude of a JetBlue plane from Cancun to Newark on Oct. 30, that injured at least 15 passengers, some of them transported to hospitals for medical care.
The U.S. FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency required airlines to address the issue with the software update. More than 500 U.S.-registered aircraft were impacted, including jets flown by American Airlines and Delta.
Japan’s All Nippon Airways, Air India and Germany’s Lufthansa were also affected. The Airbus A320 family of single-aisle aircraft is the primary competitor to Boeing’s 737.
IMPACT FOR CANADIAN CARRIERS
As reported earlier, Air Canada, Air Transat, American Airlines and Air France are among the users of these aircraft in Canada.
Air Canada spokesperson Christophe Hennebelle said “very few of our aircraft use this version of the software and we do not anticipate any impact on our operations.”
For its part, Air Transat emphasizes that “although none of our aircraft experienced any problems in flight, the airworthiness directive issued by the relevant authorities and the manufacturer also applies to the Airbus A321,” said Air Transat spokesperson Alex-Anne Carrier. “In accordance with this directive, we immediately implemented the necessary measures to ensure our aircraft are in regulatory compliance. Our technical teams are already fully mobilized and are actively working to implement the required corrective actions in the coming hours to comply with this directive. We anticipate minor adjustments to our flight schedules in the meantime and remain fully committed to maintaining the highest safety standards for our crew members and passengers.”
At Air France, at least 35 aircraft are affected, “but none departing from or arriving in Canada are concerned,” confirmed spokesperson Mathieu Guillot.
With file from Profession Voyages
Lead image caption: A TAP Air Portugal Airbus A320 is silhouetted against the setting moon while approaching for landing in Lisbon, Portugal, June 23, 2024 (AP Photo/Armando Franca, File)