Airbus has issued a global alert for software updates on over 6,500 A320 family aircraft, following a JetBlue flight incident that exposed risks from intense solar radiation. In Colombia, Aerocivil orders affected planes grounded from November 29 at 7:00 p.m. Avianca will ground over 70% of its fleet for 10 days, halting ticket sales until December 8.
The issue stemmed from an October 30 JetBlue flight from Cancún to Newark, which suffered a sudden unintended descent without pilot input, diverting to Tampa, Florida, with no injuries. An investigation found an ELAC 2 computer failure, caused by intense solar radiation corrupting flight control data. Airbus, which introduced the A320 in the late 1980s and overtook Boeing as the global leader, confirmed over half its active A320 fleet—with 11,000 units in operation—could be affected.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a directive to replace or modify each affected ELAC before the next flight. “This condition, if not corrected, could lead to an uncontrolled movement of the elevator that could exceed the structural capability of the aircraft,” warned EASA. Airbus acknowledged: “These recommendations will cause operational disruptions for passengers and customers.”
In Colombia, the Civil Aeronautics Authority (Aerocivil) joined the call, mandating A320 immobilization from November 29 at 7:00 p.m. “The safety of passengers and aviation is our institutional priority,” stated the agency, overseeing updates with airlines. Avianca, heavily reliant on A320s (180 passengers, 828 km/h, 4,500 km range), will ground over 70% of its fleet for 10 days, notifying affected passengers and closing sales until December 8.
Globally, American Airlines will update 340 planes in two days; ANA canceled 65 flights impacting 9,400 passengers; Wizz Air and Jetstar grounded some. Colombia's JetSMART reported only a few affected, to be serviced overnight. The announcement coincides with Thanksgiving travel peaks, worsening disruptions from weather and government shutdowns. The A320, with fly-by-wire system and neo variants, rivals Boeing's 737 but has faced prior challenges like Pratt & Whitney engine issues.
