Airbus Grounds Thousands of Jets Amid Software Glitch Crisis
A global recall has left airlines scrambling to fix software issues in nearly half of Airbus's A320 fleet, with thousands of flights cancelled and delayed. The crisis began when an analysis revealed that "intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls," prompting the company to order immediate repairs for 6,000 aircraft.
The problem has caused significant disruptions, particularly during the Thanksgiving weekend in the US, where airlines Delta, United, and American were forced to cancel flights. Airbus has since completed software updates on most affected planes, with fewer than 100 remaining that need further work before they can return to service.
However, a new issue has emerged, with Airbus discovering quality problems affecting metal panels used in fuselage construction. The company is now inspecting all potentially impacted aircraft and will take action only if necessary, with analysts estimating up to 15% of the planes may require hardware upgrades.
The recall has been described as the largest in Airbus's 55-year history, and the airline has faced criticism over its handling of the crisis. However, the company has apologized for any inconvenience caused and assured passengers that safety remains its top priority.
Industry experts have expressed concern about the potential impact on air travel, particularly with older planes requiring complex hardware upgrades. EasyJet and Wizz Air reported completing software updates without cancelling flights, but other airlines, such as JetBlue, have taken a more cautious approach, planning to cancel some flights due to the uncertainty surrounding the fixes.
The crisis has also had an impact on Airbus's shares, which have fallen by up to 6% in recent days. Despite this, the company remains one of the largest and most successful in the aviation industry, employing over 157,000 people worldwide.
A global recall has left airlines scrambling to fix software issues in nearly half of Airbus's A320 fleet, with thousands of flights cancelled and delayed. The crisis began when an analysis revealed that "intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls," prompting the company to order immediate repairs for 6,000 aircraft.
The problem has caused significant disruptions, particularly during the Thanksgiving weekend in the US, where airlines Delta, United, and American were forced to cancel flights. Airbus has since completed software updates on most affected planes, with fewer than 100 remaining that need further work before they can return to service.
However, a new issue has emerged, with Airbus discovering quality problems affecting metal panels used in fuselage construction. The company is now inspecting all potentially impacted aircraft and will take action only if necessary, with analysts estimating up to 15% of the planes may require hardware upgrades.
The recall has been described as the largest in Airbus's 55-year history, and the airline has faced criticism over its handling of the crisis. However, the company has apologized for any inconvenience caused and assured passengers that safety remains its top priority.
Industry experts have expressed concern about the potential impact on air travel, particularly with older planes requiring complex hardware upgrades. EasyJet and Wizz Air reported completing software updates without cancelling flights, but other airlines, such as JetBlue, have taken a more cautious approach, planning to cancel some flights due to the uncertainty surrounding the fixes.
The crisis has also had an impact on Airbus's shares, which have fallen by up to 6% in recent days. Despite this, the company remains one of the largest and most successful in the aviation industry, employing over 157,000 people worldwide.
Just a heads up guys, I was reading about the software glitch crisis with Airbus 
and it's crazy to think that their A320 fleet has been affected by this! The fact that they're having to cancel thousands of flights is just ridiculous 
. And now they're dealing with another issue involving metal panels? 
It's like they need a whole new set of problems to deal with! 
. But still, it's frustrating for all the passengers who have been affected by these cancellations and delays 
. EasyJet and Wizz Air seem to have handled things relatively well, so maybe Airbus could learn a thing or two from them? 
i just wanna know whats gonna happen with my flights... are we gonna be stuck in the airport forever? 
and why is airbus being so quiet about it all? cant they just say something like "oh no our planes broke" instead of making everyone guess? 
... like, I get it, safety first and all that, but can't we just have a little more tech stability for once? 
. And yeah, Airbus has been pretty transparent about the whole thing, even if it's been a bumpy ride 
.
️ But now there's this other issue with metal panels in the fuselage... like, what even is that? 
It's just so frustrating 
I'm starting to think I'll never get on a plane again without some major drama unfolding... 
️
. hopefully, those quality problems with metal panels don't lead to any bigger issues 
. easyjet & wizz air did a good job of getting their updates done without cancelling flights 
. fingers crossed it's all fixed soon & we can get back to flying high again 
. Where are these 'analyses' coming from? Need some credible sources, pls! And 6,000 planes? That's a huge deal, but how did Airbus miss this so badly? Were they rushed into production or something?