European aircraft manufacturer „Airbus“ (Airbus) said on Monday that it had ordered an immediate software change on a significant number of its best-selling A320 family aircraft, Reuters reported.
„Airbus“ said in a statement that a recent incident with an A320 family aircraft had revealed that intense solar radiation could damage data that is critical to the functioning of flight control systems. According to industry sources, this will affect about 6,000 aircraft, or more than half of the machines in the world.
„Airbus“ acknowledges that these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions for passengers and customers, the company said.
Low-cost airline “Wizz Air“, which also operates routes to and from Bulgaria, announced that some of its aircraft are among the affected machines that require a software update. “Wizz Air“ has already scheduled the necessary maintenance to ensure full compliance with the established risk mitigation measure, the statement said.
The company warns that as a result, some of its flights over the weekend may be affected. Passengers who booked their tickets directly through the “Wizz Air“ website or through the airline's mobile app, will be notified of any changes to the schedule, the carrier adds.
Bulgarian pilot Mario Bakalov wrote on Facebook that there is no cause for alarm:
The reason is a discovered software bug, which in case of strong solar radiation (solar flares) can corrupt data in the system and cause unstable behavior. What does this mean?
- Airbus requires a short software fix or replacement of the ELAC module.
- The procedure takes about 2-3 hours and is performed as part of routine daily technical checks.
- Every aircraft that flies with passengers has already been updated.
- All operators are already performing a software rollback - a return to a previous, stable version, which should be completed by the end of tomorrow.
Why is this good news? Because the aviation safety system works. Even with minimal risk, the manufacturer and regulators react preemptively and immediately before it reaches a real danger.
What to expect? Slight delays are possible until all aircraft undergo the procedure - but safety always comes first.