European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has announced that due to intense solar radiation, which can disrupt the navigation data of thousands of its aircraft, it requires a software update and, in some cases, a hardware update. Airlines have canceled hundreds of flights to urgently update the software canceled.
The problem was identified after an incident involving a JetBlue A320 in Florida on October 30. The aircraft quickly began losing altitude and was forced to make an emergency landing. At least 15 people were injured.
The issue affects the A320, the most popular model, as well as the A318, A319, and A321. This constitutes approximately 6,000 aircraft (half of the world fleet), but BBC reporter Theo Leggett emphasizes that a relatively simple software update, lasting about three hours, is sufficient for approximately 5,100 of these aircraft.
However, older aircraft also require hardware replacement, which necessitates taking them temporarily out of service. Airbus acknowledged that this could disrupt its customers' operations and apologized for it.
According to the UK regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, the procedures could lead to "individual disruptions and flight cancellations," but the problem has affected only "some" airlines in the UK.
