Airbus warns A320 fleet needs software fix after accident

The company said a large number of its A320 fleet, which includes about 6,000 aircraft, may be affected by the required repair, according to a statement sent by the European planemaker on Friday.

“Airbus acknowledges that these recommendations will result in operational disruptions for passengers and customers,” the company said.

This warning follows an incident on October 30 involving a Jetblue plane flying from Cancun to Newark, New Jersey, which suffered a computer glitch that led to a sudden and unexpected landing without pilot intervention. No one was injured, and the plane was diverted to Tampa, Florida. A subsequent investigation revealed that one of the plane’s elevator aileron computers – known as ELAC 2 – had malfunctioned.

The discovery risks becoming a major headache for Airbus, given that the A320 family is the company’s most popular aircraft ever. According to people familiar with the situation, most aircraft can receive an uncomplicated update from the cockpit with minimal downtime.

But about 1,000 older planes will need a physical hardware upgrade and will have to be grounded for the duration of maintenance, said the people, who asked to remain anonymous while discussing the non-public findings.

The manufacturer, based in Toulouse in southern France, said it was requesting a so-called alert operator transfer (AOT) to carry out repairs, and that the AOT would be reflected in an emergency directive issued by the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency, the region’s regulator.

Airbus declined to comment on the details and duration of maintenance procedures. The EASA guidance will likely contain more information on the exact fix and the extent of the upgrades.

The A320 is its competitor Boeing The Co.737 and its two jet families are the backbone of the civil aviation industry. Airbus has already had to grapple with engine problems on its latest A320neo planes, including those made by Pratt & Whitney, which have forced hundreds of planes temporarily out of service for maintenance.

The A320 is flown using a so-called fly-by-wire system, which relies on electronic inputs rather than hydraulic mechanisms. The ELAC system, which stands for Elevator Aileron Computers, helps manage critical flight parameters such as stabilization flight and ensures the aircraft stays within its designated flight envelope by preventing excessive or accidental inputs.