Software glitch linked to solar flares prompts Airbus recall, interrupts travel

Travelers worldwide were stranded after Airbus ordered an immediate software update for 6,000 A320 series aircraft, forcing airlines to ground planes during one of the busiest travel weekends. 

The company issued the urgent fix after a recent incident involving one A320 aircraft “revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls,” Airbus said. 

The directive impacted flights in the United States during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year following the Thanksgiving holiday. American Airlines, the world’s largest operator of A320s, told CNBC that the recall affected 209 of its aircraft. 

“As of 6 p.m. CT, American has fewer than 150 aircraft remaining to update,” American Airlines told CNBC on Friday. “We expect the overwhelming majority of those to be completed today and through the night, with only a handful remaining for completion tomorrow.”

A limited number of aircraft in the fleets of both Delta and United Airlines were also impacted by the recall. 

The incident that sparked the recall happened on Oct. 30. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a directive on Friday reporting that a JetBlue flight experienced an “uncommanded and limited pitch down event.” Airbus later determined “intense solar radiation” was likely responsible for corrupting data vital to flight controls.