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A320 Safety Update Triggers Global Disruptions as Airlines Implement Emergency Orders

Emergency directives require A320‑family jets to install a software fix that protects flight‑control data from solar‑radiation corruption.

Overview

  • Airbus issued an alert to operators after an Oct. 30 JetBlue A320 incident led to the discovery of a vulnerability affecting flight‑control software.
  • EASA and the FAA published emergency airworthiness directives, permitting passenger service only after the prescribed update and allowing ferry flights to maintenance facilities before fixes.
  • Roughly 6,000 A320‑family aircraft are subject to action worldwide, with most returning to service after a short software restore but about 1,000 potentially needing hardware replacement that could extend groundings.
  • Mexico’s Volaris and VivaAerobús began fleet updates and warned of 48–72 hours of cancellations and delays as AFAC conducts technical verifications.
  • Airlines reported widespread but varying impacts, including Air France canceling 35 flights, ANA more than 60, and Avianca forecasting significant disruptions and pausing ticket sales until December 8.