Airbus Initiates Global A320 Recall Amid Solar Radiation Concerns, Triggering Widespread Travel Disruptions

Airbus has issued a major global recall for its widely used A320 family aircraft, citing concerns that intense solar radiation could corrupt critical flight control data. The urgent directive, announced on Friday, November 28, 2025, mandates immediate software or hardware modifications for thousands of planes worldwide, as reported by flightglobal.

This unprecedented safety alert follows a recent mid-air incident involving a JetBlue Airways A320, which experienced an "uncommanded pitch-down" event on October 30, 2025, according to India Today. The incident, which injured at least 15 passengers, prompted an extensive investigation by Airbus and aviation authorities.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) responded by issuing an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) on November 28, 2025, making the required fixes mandatory before affected aircraft can resume passenger flights, Aviation Week reported. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to issue a similar order, according to flightglobal.

Approximately 6,000 to 6,500 A320 family jets, representing more than half of the global fleet, are impacted by the recall, as confirmed by belganewsagency.eu. Airbus acknowledged that these recommendations would lead to operational disruptions for airlines and passengers globally, stated The Economic Times.

Airlines worldwide are scrambling to implement the necessary updates, leading to significant disruptions, including flight delays and cancellations, particularly over the busy US Thanksgiving holiday weekend, BNN Bloomberg reported. Many carriers are working around the clock to minimize the impact on their schedules.

The core vulnerability lies within the aircraft's Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC B) equipped with software version L104, which is susceptible to data corruption from solar flares, explained The Indian Express. This critical component manages the aircraft's pitch and roll control, translating pilot inputs into electronic signals.

• The recall stems from a specific incident on October 30, 2025, involving JetBlue Airways flight B6-1230 from Cancun to Newark, where the A320 experienced a sudden, uncommanded descent at 35,000 feet, injuring passengers and forcing a diversion to Tampa, Florida, according to India Today. The French investigation authority BEA noted that the autopilot corrected the trajectory, preventing a worse outcome.
• The vulnerability has been traced to the Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC B) with software version L104, which controls critical flight surfaces like elevators and ailerons, as detailed by The Air Current. Intense solar radiation, specifically high-energy neutrons, can cause "single event upsets" (SEUs) or "bit flips" in the computer's memory, corrupting data essential for flight control, explained The Weather Network.
• The scope of the recall is substantial, affecting approximately 6,000 to 6,500 Airbus A320 family aircraft globally, which includes the A319, A320, and A321 models, flightglobal reported. This represents over half of the in-service A320 family fleet and marks one of the largest recalls in Airbus's 55-year history, according to The Guardian.
• The fix primarily involves reverting to an earlier, more robust software version for the ELAC, a process that can be completed relatively quickly, often within a few hours, for about 85% of the affected aircraft, flightglobal stated. However, around 1,000 older A320s may require a more time-consuming hardware replacement, which could take longer depending on parts availability, noted belganewsagency.eu.
• Aviation regulators, including EASA and the FAA, have issued or are preparing to issue emergency airworthiness directives, making the modifications mandatory before further flight, as reported by Aviation Week. This regulatory action underscores the severity of the safety concern and the need for immediate compliance from airlines worldwide.
• The recall has caused significant operational challenges for airlines, particularly during the busy travel period around the US Thanksgiving holiday, BNN Bloomberg highlighted. Airlines like American Airlines, IndiGo, and Avianca have reported varying numbers of affected aircraft and are working to implement fixes, with some experiencing delays and others, like Avianca, closing ticket sales for several days, according to The Guardian.
• Space weather, including solar flares and coronal mass ejections, can significantly impact aviation by disrupting communications, navigation, and surveillance systems, and increasing radiation exposure at flight altitudes, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The FAA also notes that solar events can degrade GPS signals and cause onboard electronics anomalies, as per its Space Weather program.
• The incident highlights a growing awareness within the aviation industry regarding the potential impact of space weather on modern, fly-by-wire aircraft systems, which rely heavily on electronic controls, as discussed by The Indian Express. Experts suggest that while the immediate fix addresses the current vulnerability, it also emphasizes the need for continuous adaptation of advanced aviation systems to environmental threats.