Airbus Struggles to Bounce Back from Software Glitch After Grounding Thousands of Planes
A major software glitch has grounded thousands of Airbus planes worldwide, prompting the French aircraft manufacturer to recall nearly half its global fleet for repairs. The problem was triggered by "intense solar radiation" that may have corrupted critical data used in flight controls.
The incident, which marked Airbus's largest recall in 55 years, coincided with a busy Thanksgiving weekend in the US and caused widespread disruptions among airlines such as Delta, United, and American. Despite efforts to quickly fix the issue, shares in Airbus plummeted on Monday after the company announced a separate quality problem affecting fuselage panels.
Airbus has said that about 6,000 of its A320 aircraft needed software or hardware fixes to resolve the problems. The majority of these have now been completed, leaving fewer than 100 planes still awaiting repairs. However, analysts estimate that up to 15% of affected planes may require a more complex hardware upgrade.
The quality issue with fuselage panels has raised concerns about the reliability and durability of Airbus's products. In response, the company claims it is taking a conservative approach to inspect all potentially affected aircraft and will only take further action on those deemed necessary.
While some airlines have completed software updates without incident, others are facing more complex fixes that could delay their return to service. The impact on UK airlines appears to be limited, with transport secretary Heidi Alexander hailing the swift resolution of the issue as a demonstration of high aviation safety standards globally.
Airbus's stock has seen significant volatility in recent days, with shares falling by up to 6% after Monday's announcement. Despite this, the company remains one of the largest and most successful aerospace manufacturers in the world, employing over 157,000 people worldwide.
A major software glitch has grounded thousands of Airbus planes worldwide, prompting the French aircraft manufacturer to recall nearly half its global fleet for repairs. The problem was triggered by "intense solar radiation" that may have corrupted critical data used in flight controls.
The incident, which marked Airbus's largest recall in 55 years, coincided with a busy Thanksgiving weekend in the US and caused widespread disruptions among airlines such as Delta, United, and American. Despite efforts to quickly fix the issue, shares in Airbus plummeted on Monday after the company announced a separate quality problem affecting fuselage panels.
Airbus has said that about 6,000 of its A320 aircraft needed software or hardware fixes to resolve the problems. The majority of these have now been completed, leaving fewer than 100 planes still awaiting repairs. However, analysts estimate that up to 15% of affected planes may require a more complex hardware upgrade.
The quality issue with fuselage panels has raised concerns about the reliability and durability of Airbus's products. In response, the company claims it is taking a conservative approach to inspect all potentially affected aircraft and will only take further action on those deemed necessary.
While some airlines have completed software updates without incident, others are facing more complex fixes that could delay their return to service. The impact on UK airlines appears to be limited, with transport secretary Heidi Alexander hailing the swift resolution of the issue as a demonstration of high aviation safety standards globally.
Airbus's stock has seen significant volatility in recent days, with shares falling by up to 6% after Monday's announcement. Despite this, the company remains one of the largest and most successful aerospace manufacturers in the world, employing over 157,000 people worldwide.
I'm not surprised when airlines like this happen to us... I mean, aircraft 
️. Software glitches can be super tricky to fix, especially if it's something as critical as flight controls. Glad to hear that most of the planes have been fixed already and only a few are left behind 
. The thing is, even if we don't know about these issues upfront, airlines need to stay on top of things to keep their passengers safe 
. It's also good that Airbus is being cautious with the fuselage panel issue - safety always comes first! 
I'm surprised they're being super cautious about those fuselage panels. I mean, I get it, safety first and all that 
, but it's not like they haven't been testing them for years. It feels a bit like overkill to me 
. On the other hand, I do think they should be more transparent about how long these fixes are going to take... we're already past Thanksgiving and some of these planes aren't flying yet 
. And what's with the estimate that 15% might need hardware upgrades? That feels like a lot to me 
. Guess you just gotta wait and see how it all shakes out 
but at the same time, it's also a reminder that even with the best tech, there's still room for human error and unexpected issues. So maybe instead of getting all worked up about this glitch, we should be thinking about how to make our systems more resilient in the first place? 
, thousands of travelers were stuck during that thursday thanksgiving weekend and it's still a mess, i feel bad for delta, united & american who got hit hard 
, any major software glitch like this is super worrisome 
, what if something like this happens again in the future? also, fuselage panels should be rethought, that's gotta make all airlines nervous 
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. And now they're saying that some planes might need more complex hardware upgrades? That's so not what you want when you're planning a special trip 
.
I mean, I know they're always working on new tech, but a software glitch that grounds thousands of planes? That's just crazy! 
I remember when I was a kid, we used to think it was the "jet age" that would change everything... now it seems like even the biggest companies can have major setbacks 
. And what's with all these recalls? Is it just me or does it feel like they're doing more maintenance than actual flight testing? 
, but 15% of planes needing a complex hardware upgrade seems like a lot? 
I hope all the airlines can get their planes back in the air soon and that this won't affect holiday travel 
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. Did they not test it enough? 
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The fact that they're recalling nearly half their fleet is crazy - it's like a plane crash waiting to happen 
that's crazy, thousands of planes grounded because of software glitch! Intense solar radiation 
how quality control is being reevaluated with this issue, hoping they get it right next time
I mean, what's next? Recalls for minor scratches on the wings? 
They're making a mountain out of a molehill. And those estimates of 15% of planes needing complex hardware upgrades? Sounds like some corporate spin to me 
... but at the end of the day, Airbus is still one of the top dogs in the industry. They've got this under control 
! It's crazy that a software glitch on a plane could cause such massive disruptions to travel plans 
. I'm not saying the UK is immune to problems, but it seems like Airbus is playing with fire over here 
. What's going on behind the scenes that they didn't see this coming? Are they trying to rush out new models or something? This whole thing stinks of corporate negligence 
.