Jetstar flights disrupted after Airbus A320 warning triggers global airline action
Airbus has issued an urgent global warning that could leave thousands of passenger jets temporarily grounded, with the aircraft manufacturer advising operators to take immediate action following a serious mid-air incident last month.
The company said around 6,000 A320-family aircraft currently in service will require software upgrades, a move it warned will cause widespread travel disruption as airlines race to comply. In Australia, Jetstar has already confirmed its operations will be hit.
“Due to an issue affecting Airbus A320 operators globally, some of Jetstar’s Airbus-operated flights are unable to depart at this stage,” a Jetstar spokesperson said.
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“We apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused.”
It is understood that Qantas aircraft are unaffected, while Virgin Australia has yet to confirm.
News.com.au reported that Airbus issued the directive on Friday after analysing last month’s JetBlue incident and advising clients to take “immediate precautionary action”.
The company said the problem stems from a vulnerability in the aircraft’s flight-control computers. “Intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls,”
Airbus warned, adding that “a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in-service” may be affected.
Most jets will need only a “few hours” to have the faulty system replaced, but a source close to the issue told AFP that around 1,000 planes will require a process that “will take weeks”.
The affected component, the Elevator and Aileron Computer (ELAC), is built by the defence and aerospace company Thales.
“Airbus acknowledges these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers,” it said, offering an apology for the expected delays.
The warning follows an incident on October 30 when a JetBlue A320 experienced an in-flight control failure attributed to a computer malfunction. The aircraft abruptly pitched downward while travelling from Cancun to Newark, forcing pilots to divert to Tampa, Florida. Local firefighters told US media that some passengers had been injured during the abrupt descent.
The A320 family remains Airbus’s most successful program, with 12,257 units sold by the end of September, narrowly overtaking Boeing’s 737, which has sold 12,254.
