Sky Silence: 6,000 Planes Grounded ✈️🌍

World News

Thousands of Airbus aircraft were returning to normal service following several hours of groundings prompted by a warning regarding potential interference from solar radiation with onboard flight control computers. The aerospace manufacturer, based in France, reported that approximately 6,000 of its A320 models were affected, necessitating quick software updates for most. Around 900 older planes required a complete computer replacement. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot stated that the updates proceeded “very smoothly” for over 5,000 aircraft; Airbus informed him that fewer than 100 aircraft still needed the update. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury apologized for “logistical challenges and delays” since Friday, emphasizing that teams were working around the clock to implement the updates “as swiftly as possible.” Disruption was observed across various airlines: Air France experienced delays and cancellations at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport. American Airlines reported 340 affected planes and anticipated “some operational delays,” while Delta Airlines believed the impact on its operations would be limited. In the United Kingdom, disruption at airports was minimal; Gatwick Airport reported “some disruption,” Heathrow confirmed no cancellations, and Manchester Airport anticipated no significant problems, with Luton Airport stating there would be “no” issues.

Planes were grounded globally following the discovery of a computing software issue affecting aircraft elevation calculations. The UK Civil Aviation Authority reported working through the night to implement updates, noting that while some disruption was anticipated, the impact on flights remained minimal. British Airways and Air India were not significantly affected, and Easyjet stated it had completed the update on a “significant number” of its aircraft, intending to operate as normal. Wizz Air was also operating as usual, having rolled out the updates overnight. In Australia, budget airline Jetstar cancelled 90 flights after approximately a third of its fleet was impacted, and disruption was expected to persist throughout the weekend despite the majority of aircraft already receiving the update. Air New Zealand grounded its A320 planes until the update was finalized, and all flights subsequently resumed. This issue was traced back to Airbus after a JetBlue Airways plane experienced a sudden loss of altitude and an emergency landing between the US and Mexico in October, resulting in at least 15 injuries. Airbus identified a corrupted calculation of altitude due to intense solar radiation affecting the aircraft’s computing software at high altitudes. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury apologized for “logistical challenges and delays” since Friday, stating that teams are working around the clock to complete the updates “as swiftly as possible.”

Potential radiation exposure could impact the aircraft’s systems, necessitating the grounding of all affected planes until the issue is fully resolved. The duration of this grounding will be determined by the availability of replacement computers.