Airbus Software Jolt: Crucial Update For United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines Passengers

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Many airlines in the United States have been impacted after Airbus issued an alert on Friday, warning that as many as 6,000 active A320 aircraft might need immediate repairs, a development that threatens major disruptions during the busiest travel weekend of the year.

This setback appears to be one the biggest recalls affecting Airbus in its 55-year history and comes just weeks after the A320 surpassed the Boeing 737 as the most-delivered aircraft model, Reuters reported earlier.

Here's full list of impacted airlines

Airlines from the United States have already warned the flyers that the repairs could potentially cause flight delays or cancellations, though some airlines maintain that the disruptions are likely to be limited.

- American Airlines: The US carrier notified its passengers on Friday that it expects some operational delays due to the software change. It initially said that the issue impacted around 340 aircraft at the carrier, but after getting more clarity from Airbus, American Airlines informed that 209 A320 family aircraft are affected, far fewer than first thought.

As of 6 pm CT (0000 GMT), fewer than 150 aircraft still needed to be updated, American told Reuters. The airline expects most of the remaining work to be completed overnight, with only a small number of planes left to update for Saturday.

- United Airlines: This airline said that only six aircrafts in its fleet have been impacted by the disruption. It also expects limited disruption to a few of the airline's flights.

- Alaska Air: This Washington-based carrier has clarified that it is not experiencing any disruptions from the Airbus software fix, and operations will continue as usual unless any further notice is given.

Why is the software fix required in Airbus?

The Airbus aircraft, which is heavily used by commercial airlines around the world had to go through an urgent fix after a software issue contributed to a sudden drop in altitude of a JetBlue plane last month, the manufacturer and European aviation safety regulators said on Friday.

Airbus said an analysis of the JetBlue incident revealed that intense solar radiation may have corrupted data critical to the functioning of flight controls on the A320 family of aircraft.

Also Read | American Airlines says Airbus A320 software issue to impact 340 aircraft

At least 15 JetBlue passengers were injured and taken to the hospital after the JetBlue incident on board the flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey. The plane was later diverted to Tampa, Florida, AP reported.

EU aviation body issues directive

European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), an apex body under the European Union has issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD), requiring the operators of Airbus A320 to address the issue that occurred on JetBlue flight 1230 on 30 October.

Also Read | Air India, IndiGo among airlines hit after A320 software switch-Full list

While these measures could lead to“short-term disruption” to flight schedules and therefore inconvenience to passengers, the agency emphasised that safety remains the top priority in aviation.

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