Airbus ordered the immediate grounding of around 6000 A320 planes on Friday due to flight control software vulnerable to intense solar radiation. The precautionary measure follows an October incident on a JetBlue aircraft that exposed risks of corrupting essential flight data. Flight cancellations have been reported at various airports, affecting thousands of passengers.
On November 28, 2025, Airbus notified its clients to immediately halt flights on planes equipped with a specific flight control software, following analysis of an incident on October 30 involving a JetBlue A320. The aircraft, flying from Cancun (Mexico) to Newark (United States), suddenly nose-dived in cruise phase, injuring 15 to 20 passengers lightly. The pilots made an emergency landing in Tampa (Florida), where the plane was inspected and removed from service.
"Intense solar radiation could corrupt essential data for flight control operations," an Airbus spokesperson told AFP. The incident revealed that software updates made the elevator-aileron computers (ELAC), manufactured by Thales, sensitive to these rare but powerful solar events, which cause auroras borealis and GPS disruptions.
For most of the 6000 affected planes, reverting to the previous software version will take a few hours. However, for about 1000 older aircraft, a computer hardware change will be required, potentially taking weeks, according to a source close to the matter. Thales stated that its computer, operational since March 2001 and logging 50 million flight hours per year on 10,000 A320s, complies with Airbus specifications, but the implicated software is Airbus's responsibility.
Airbus apologized for the disruptions: "We recognize these recommendations will cause operational issues for passengers and clients. Safety remains our absolute priority." French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot praised the responsible decision on X, urging passengers to contact their airline.
Impacts are immediate: Air France canceled 35 flights on the evening of November 28, with disruptions at Roissy and Orly affecting around 15 routes to Birmingham, Madrid, or Tunis. ADP group anticipates dozens of flights disrupted on November 29. In India, over 350 A320s from IndiGo and Air India will be grounded for two to three days. American Airlines is updating its 340 planes. At the time of the alert, about 3000 A320s were in flight. The A320 family has 11,000 aircraft in service, including 6440 of the main model, first flight in 1987.