Airlines across the globe were left scrambling on Friday after a software glitch needed an urgent update. European aircraft manufacturer Airbus noted that, following the JetBlue incident that resulted in a sudden drop in altitude, it was found that solar radiation may have corrupted data that is critical to the functioning of the airplane’s flight controls.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) quickly stepped in, mandating that airlines operating the A320 ground aircraft and complete a software update. It was estimated that this affected more than 6,000 aircraft in most corners of the world.
Short Term Disruptions
Airbus has been publicly apologetic about the incident, understanding that the mandate to ground aircraft would have added significant logistical challenges and delays to all airlines operating the type. The team at Airbus was working around the clock this weekend to deploy updates as quickly as possible, to ensure the world’s fleet could keep flying. It was estimated that around 6,000 aircraft were affected, with the majority just needing a brief software update, while another 900 needed computer replacement.
The groundings, which were estimated to take a few hours to install the needed updates, saw airlines canceling and delaying services across their network. Airlines on all inhabited continents in the world saw aircraft sitting idle on the apron as their teams installed this crucial software update. Airbus’ Chief Executive Officer, Guillaume Faury, apologized to the airline customers and passengers via his LinkedIn page:
“I want to sincerely apologise to our airline customers and passengers who are impacted now. But we consider that nothing is more important than safety when people fly on one of our Airbus Aircraft – like millions do every day.”
Airlines Work Around The Clock
European low-cost carrier easyJet, which operates a fleet of A318 and A320 aircraft, worked throughout the night Friday to complete the update on a ‘significant number’ of aircraft in its fleet, and claimed to the BBC that it had little to no impact on its regular operations. This was further supported by 
London Gatwick Airport and Manchester airports, two of its busiest bases, reporting little disruption.
Fort Worth-based 
American Airlines also worked tirelessly to avoid major operational impact. The oneworld airline noted to CNBC that by 12:00 PM CT, all 209 aircraft had completed their software update. This was a sigh of relief not only for the airline but also for the thousands of travelers who were looking to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday period. Sunday is set to be the most traveled day for the airline.
United and 
Delta Air Lines also had several aircraft affected. UA (six) and Delta (less than 50) were both quick to jump into action to complete the necessary update, reporting both only minor disruption to scheduled servicing.
Airbus Expects Disruptions As Thousands Of A320s Need Software Updates
Intense solar radiation potentially corrupts critical flight control data, prompting urgent action.
Disruption For Many Elsewhere
In Japan, All Nippon Airways and its affiliates, Peach Aviation, saw the cancellation of 95 domestic flights due to the software update. This saw thousands of travelers displaced as the country’s largest airline group to operating the narrowbody Airbus A320 aircraft. Air India and Scoot Airlines worked throughout Saturday to update the majority of their A320 fleets, with minimal flight delays or cancellations.
Low-cost-carrier Jetstar, a subsidiary of the Qantas group, had 24 aircraft requiring a software update. This saw the cancellation of 90 flights across the airlines’ Australia and New Zealand operations. Air New Zealand, also greatly affected by the grounding of aircraft, with the carrier working across the weekend to update its domestic and short-haul jet fleet.
The majority of the world’s A320 fleet is now back up and running after the potential flight control risk. Solar radiation is a stream of energetic particles, partnered with electromagnetic waves that are emitted by the sun. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections can lead to it interacting with aircraft avionics, which could disrupt onboard systems, including navigation equipment and flight-control data.
