Newsletters
Turkish Airlines has initiated required procedures for eight A320-family aircraft in its fleet after Airbus issued an urgent global software update notice, warning that solar radiation could impact flight-control systems.
Several airlines around the world delayed or canceled flights on Friday in response to the alert, which affects up to 6,000 operational A320 aircraft.
“Airbus has issued an Operator Alert Notice (AOT) for all A320 aircraft worldwide,” Turkish Airlines Senior Vice President of Communications Yahya Ustun said late Friday in a post on X.
“Eight A320 aircraft in our fleet have been assessed under this framework and will be safely returned to service after completing procedures in accordance with the relevant instructions,” he said, adding that operations continue safely.
Ustun emphasized the flag carrier is working closely with Airbus and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to implement the necessary software updates.
“Passenger safety is always our company's top priority,” he said.
AJet, the low-cost Turkish carrier, also confirmed it has grounded its affected A320 aircraft. Press adviser Mehmet Yesilkaya said seven AJet aircraft were pulled from service following Airbus’ notice.
“During this process, we are closely following the instructions of EASA and the relevant aviation authorities, and we are continuing to work in coordination with Airbus,” he said. “Our flights continue safely.”
The European aerospace manufacturer ordered immediate precautionary software updates for its A320 family after identifying that intense solar radiation may corrupt data vital to flight-control systems.
Meanwhile, another Turkish air carrier, Pegasus, said it began to make necessary implementations related to the Airbus' notification.
"We are rapidly executing the process in coordination with EASA and Airbus to ensure the safest possible operation.
"We are working to minimize the impact on our operations and our guests during this process," it added.
The alert follows a technical incident aboard JetBlue flight 1230 on Oct. 30, which experienced in-flight control failure due to a computer malfunction. The plane suddenly nosedived while flying from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey, and diverted for an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida. Some passengers were reportedly injured.
Airbus said it had proactively worked with aviation regulators to issue the AOT and noted it would be followed by an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) from 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,” the company said.
1 min read
EASA confirmed that the directive addresses a vulnerability introduced in a software update related to the Elevator and Aileron Computer (ELAC), which controls key flight surfaces.
The regulator said the issue manifested itself in the JetBlue flight incident and warned that the measures may cause short-term disruption to flight schedules but insisted “safety is paramount.”
The problematic software is part of a system developed by French aerospace firm Thales, though the company said the faulty feature is not under its responsibility.
Airlines around the world began reacting to the alert. American Airlines said it had already started software updates and expected the “vast majority” of its approximately 340 affected aircraft to be serviced by Saturday, though some delays were expected.
Avianca, the Colombian airline, warned of “significant disruptions over the next 10 days.”
Air France told AFP it was still assessing how many additional flights would be canceled over the weekend and said affected passengers were being notified individually by SMS and email.
United Airlines told AFP it had not been impacted but did not provide further details.
The A320 family, first produced in 1988, is the world’s best-selling passenger aircraft. By the end of September, Airbus had delivered 12,257 A320s, narrowly surpassing Boeing’s 737, of which 12,254 units had been sold.
Airbus said that software replacement will take only a few hours on most aircraft but could take weeks for up to 1,000 planes. The company and regulators emphasized that all action was being taken out of an abundance of caution to ensure the highest level of flight safety.
4 min read
