Airbus has asked airlines to immediately repair 6,000 of its A320 family planes. This affects more than half of the global fleet and comes at a busy weekend for travel. The move follows a recent incident in which an A320 experienced problems mid-air.
There are about 11,300 A320-family planes worldwide. This is one of Airbus’s largest recalls in its 55-year history and comes shortly after the A320 overtook the Boeing 737 as the most-produced jet.
The repair will include rolling back to an earlier software version. Many airlines have already begun the work, but the scale of the recall means some passengers will see disruptions over the coming days.
Why did the Airbus recall happen? EASA details
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) reported that a recent A320 experienced an uncommanded and limited pitch-down event. The autopilot stayed on, and the plane lost only a small amount of altitude. The rest of the flight was normal.
Malfunction in ELAC
An assessment by Airbus identified a possible malfunction in the plane’s ELAC (Elevator and Aileron Computer), which controls the plane’s pitch through commands from the pilot’s side-stick. If not fixed, this issue could cause uncommanded elevator movements, potentially exceeding the aircraft’s structural limits in the worst-case scenario. “This condition, if not corrected, could lead in the worst-case scenario to an uncommanded elevator movement that may result in exceeding the aircraft’s structural capability,” ELAC said in a statement.
EASA update
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) called the repair a “precautionary action.” Airbus said it expects operational disruptions, but added safety is the top priority.
To address the problem, Airbus issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) directing airlines to install a serviceable ELAC and the preventing the installation of affected units.
What was the incident with Airbus?
The recall was reportedly took place after an incident involving a JetBlue flight from Cancún, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey, on 30 October. According to The Guardian report, several passengers were injured after the plane suddenly dropped in altitude. Both JetBlue and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had no immediate comment on the situation.
Airbus full statement on recall
“Analysis of a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls. Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in-service which may be impacted. Airbus has worked proactively with the aviation authorities to request immediate precautionary action from operators via an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT) in order to implement the available software and/or hardware protection, and ensure the fleet is safe to fly,” Airbus said in a release.
Airbus recall: Immediate Grounding
Around two-thirds of affected aircraft will be briefly grounded to install serviceable ELACs or revert to previous software. Each update takes roughly two hours. Some planes may need hardware changes, which could take longer and extend delays.
American Airlines, Wizz Air, British Airways update
- American Airlines: 340 of its 480 A320S need the fix. Most updates should be done over the weekend.
- British Airways: Only three short-haul planes are impacted. Repairs will be done overnight with no operational disruption.
- Wizz Air: Some weekend flights may be affected. Passengers will be notified via the app or website.
Airbus recall: Indian Airlines impacted
Air India & IndiGo: Both Indian carriers expect minor schedule changes as software and hardware updates are underway.
IndiGo has 370 A320 family jets. Air India has 127 jets, meanwhile, Air India Express operates 40 A320 family planes. Airlines in India expect the software update for all affected planes to be done in two to three days, but the exact impact on flights is still unclear.
Airbus recall: Global Impact
Airlines in Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Colombia are reporting flight cancellations and delays, with some seeing just a few affected flights while others face major disruptions over the next 10 days.
Unaffected Airlines
United Airlines and Azul Airlines said none of their planes are impacted. Heathrow reported no impact, while Gatwick sees minor disruptions.