Volaris and Viva Aerobus have completed the urgent software update on their Airbus A320 aircraft, as reported by the Federal Civil Aviation Agency. The action addresses a fault in the flight control system caused by solar exposure. The airlines confirm that operations are returning to normal without major disruptions.
Airbus detected an incident in the flight control program of its A320 family, caused by intense solar radiation corrupting essential data. This affected a significant number of aircraft, estimated at around 6,000 by sector sources. The issue was revealed after a JetBlue flight on October 30 from Cancún to Newark, which made an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida, with loss of control and minor injuries.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) requested an update from Airbus, issued via an Operator Alert Transmission. In Mexico, the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) oversaw the process on 90 Volaris aircraft and 93 from Viva Aerobus, models A319, A320, and A321. The updates were successfully completed on Saturday, according to AFAC, with scheduled activities and no major impacts on national operations.
Volaris confirmed: “All our planes have been successfully updated with the new Airbus software and all our itineraries are operating with total normality.” Initially, the airline warned of cancellations and delays for 48 to 72 hours, but rapid progress minimized effects. An Airbus spokesperson noted that 85% of aircraft only need a brief software change, while 15% require more extensive interventions. AFAC will maintain ongoing monitoring to prioritize operational safety.
