Airbus Orders Urgent A320 Fleet Check Following Flight Control Issue
Airbus has issued a directive requiring airlines to inspect and,in many cases,modify their A320-family aircraft following a recent incident where intense solar radiation was found to potentially corrupt critical flight control data. The directive impacts potentially half of the global A320 fleet – thousands of jets – and must be implemented before the next routine flight, raising concerns about potential travel disruptions, particularly heading into a busy travel weekend.
According to Airbus, the issue centers around the aircraft’s flight controls and was revealed by an incident involving an A320-family aircraft. The company acknowledges the required repairs will cause “operational disruptions to passengers and customers.”
Industry sources have linked the directive to a JetBlue flight (Flight 1230) from Cancún, Mexico, to newark, New Jersey, on October 30th.That flight experienced a sudden, uncommanded loss of altitude, prompting an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida, and resulting in injuries to several passengers. The FAA is currently investigating the incident. Neither JetBlue nor the FAA have offered immediate comment on the Airbus directive.
The problem is traced to the ELAC (Elevator and Aileron Computer), a system responsible for transmitting pilot commands to the aircraft’s elevators, which control pitch.The UK’s civil aviation authority anticipates “some disruption and cancellations” as an inevitable result of the required checks and repairs, though not all UK airlines are affected.The European Union Aviation Safety Agency is preparing to issue a mandatory emergency directive.
The fix will vary depending on the aircraft.Approximately two-thirds of affected jets can be quickly addressed by reverting to a previous software version. However, hundreds of aircraft may require hardware changes, potentially leading to significantly longer grounding times. This comes at a challenging time for airlines, already facing maintenance capacity shortages and delays related to engine repairs and inspections.
As of shortly after Airbus’ proclamation, around 3,000 A320-family aircraft were in service worldwide. Airlines are already identifying affected aircraft; American Airlines reports approximately 340 of its 480 A320s require the software update, expecting most to be completed within a day or two, requiring roughly two hours per plane. United Airlines has stated it is not affected.
There are approximately 11,300 A320-family aircraft currently in operation globally, including 6,440 of the core A320 model. this recall represents one of the largest in Airbus’ 55-year history, occurring shortly after the A320 surpassed the Boeing 737 as the most-delivered airliner.
The ELAC computer is manufactured by Thales, who stated in response to a query that the computer meets Airbus specifications and the relevant functionality relies on software outside of Thales’ responsibility.
