‘Solar Radiation’ Technical Issue Grounds Thousands Of Airbus Jets Worldwide
‘Solar Radiation’ Technical Issue Grounds Thousands Of Airbus Jets Worldwide
Airbus found that, at high altitudes, these calculations could be disrupted by bursts of solar radiation.
A major technical vulnerability has forced the grounding of thousands of Airbus aircraft globally, after investigations revealed that intense solar radiation can corrupt key flight-control software.
The discovery has triggered an urgent international response, highlighting both the scale of the fault and the risks of relying on modern “fly by wire” systems.
At the heart of the problem is a flaw in the computing software that calculates an aircraft’s elevation.
Airbus found that, at high altitudes, these calculations could be disrupted by bursts of solar radiation.
According to BBC report, the issue came to light after an October incident in which a plane travelling between the US and Mexico suddenly lost altitude — the only known occurrence of its kind, according to the manufacturer.
The scale of the disruption is significant: around 6,000 A320-family planes are affected — half of Airbus’s global fleet.
These include the A318, A319, A320 and A321 models.
The UK’s aviation regulator has warned there will be “some disruption and cancellations to flights”, though the immediate impact on airports remains limited.
Airbus itself has acknowledged that the fault will cause “operational disruption to passengers and customers” and has apologised.
Most aircraft — roughly 5,100 — can return to service after a simple software patch that takes around three hours to install. But 900 older planes face a far longer delay, as they require physical replacement of onboard computers. These aircraft can only operate empty “ferry flights” until the hardware swap is completed.
Airlines across the world have begun disclosing their exposure. American Airlines said 340 of its planes were affected, adding it expected “some operational delays” but that most updates should be completed by Friday or Saturday. Delta Airlines said the impact on its operations would be “limited”.
In Australia, Jetstar cancelled 90 flights after confirming that about one-third of its fleet was affected. The airline warned that disruption would continue into the weekend, despite most aircraft already receiving the update.
Regulators have moved quickly. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has issued an emergency airworthiness directive requiring all aircraft to have the problem fixed before they can carry passengers again.
The grounding underscores a broader vulnerability: the entire A320 family operates on a sophisticated “fly by wire” system in which a computer interprets every pilot input. The incident and subsequent investigation show how even rare environmental threats — such as bursts of solar radiation — can ripple across a global fleet, grounding thousands of aircraft and disrupting operations on nearly every continent.
