In a jaw-dropping update, Europe’s aerospace and defence company Airbus announced Saturday that a software issue had taken a toll on a “significant number” of its A320 planes. As it turns out, the company has since released a full statement, addressing the potential cause of the disruption.
Read here to find out what the European banner had to say as its major recall, and the subsequent prompt demand to get 6,000 of its A320 jets immediately repaired, has kicked off sweeping global reactions.
Airbus A320 recall: Company’s full statement
“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,” the company stated,” the company stated, as per Sky News.
“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. This AOT will be reflected in an Emergency Airworthiness Directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
“Airbus acknowledges these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and will work closely with operators, while keeping safety as our number one and overriding priority.”
Global Airbus A320 fleet impacted – Airlines issue statements
Major airlines from India, the United States, Europe and more revealed via their respective platforms that their flights could potentially be subjected to delays or cancellations.
Making matters even worse, the disastrous development on the air travel scene comes during America’s peak holiday season rush. American Airlines, which remains the largest A320 operator, said the issue had left about 340 of its 480 aircraft vulnerable, according to Reuters.
American airline Delta revealed in its statement that less than 50 planes of its Airbus A320 fleet had been hit with the major snag, as per Sky News.
“As safety comes before everything else, Delta will fully comply with a directive and expects any resulting operational impact to be limited,” the company said, adding that the necessary repairs are expected to be covered by Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, Indian operators have about 560 A30 aircraft, with over 200 of them requiring software changes or hardware adjustments, sourced told PTI.
The country’s largest airline, IndiGo, issued a statement on Saturday, saying, “We are working closely with Airbus to ensure implementation as per Airbus notification. While we carry out the necessary inspections, we are making every effort to minimise disruptions.”
Air India also confirmed, “This will result in a software/hardware realignment on a part of our fleet, leading to longer turnaround time and delays to our scheduled operations. Air India regrets any inconvenience this may cause to passengers till the reset is carried out across the fleet.”
Similarly, Air India Express also kicked off its precautionary measures, and stated, “We have initiated immediate precautionary action in response to an alert requiring a software fix on the Airbus A320 fleet. While a majority of our aircraft are not impacted, the guidance applies to operators worldwide and may result in adjustments to flight operations, including potential delays or cancellations.”
