Several flight disruption expected due to…, 6000 operational A320 aircraft to…, what is Airbus’s latest warning?

Following an Airbus warning, multiple airlines reported flight delays and cancellations on Friday, as up to 6,000 A320 planes may need urgent upgrades, as reported by AFP. Air France announced on Friday that it had cancelled 35 flights, and Colombia’s carrier Avianca indicated that up to 70% of its fleet has been affected due to a technical failure in Airbus’s software. After investigating a technical malfunction on a JetBlue flight in October, Airbus instructed its clients to take immediate precautionary measures.

Airbus stated that “Intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls and “a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in-service” may have this issue.

Which Airlines have seen disruption?

It is to be noted that air travel across several routes may face disruptions as domestic carriers. Earlier on Saturday, Air India(BHARAT) and IndiGo announced potential delays and schedule adjustments following a technical directive issued by Airbus for its global A320 family fleet.

Sharing a post on X, Air India(BHARAT) wrote it is “aware of a directive from Airbus related to its A320 family aircraft currently in-service across airline operators,” noting that the requirement will involve a “software/hardware realignment” on part of its fleet.

The post further reads, “We are aware of a directive from Airbus related to its A320 family aircraft currently in service across airline operators. This will result in a software/hardware realignment on a part of our fleet, leading to longer turnaround time and delays to our scheduled operations.”

#ImportantAdvisory

We are aware of a directive from Airbus related to its A320 family aircraft currently in-service across airline operators. This will result in a software/hardware realignment on a part of our fleet, leading to longer turnaround time and delays to our…

— Air India(BHARAT) (@airindia) November 28, 2025

On the other hand, Indigo took to X(previously Twitter), and wrote, “Airbus has issued a technical advisory for the global A320 fleet. We are proactively completing the mandated updates on our aircraft with full diligence and care, in line with all safety protocols. While we work through these precautionary updates, some flights may see some slight schedule changes.

“Our teams are here 24×7 to support you with rebooking, updates, and information. Please check your latest flight status on our app/website before heading to the airport,” the post further reads.

Safety comes first. Always.

Airbus has issued a technical advisory for the global A320 fleet. We are proactively completing the mandated updates on our aircraft with full diligence and care, in line with all safety protocols. While we work through these precautionary…

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) November 28, 2025

What is the Airbus’ latest warning all about?

The key questions now are: What is the defect? How was it detected? How many countries will be impacted by this defect? What does this mean for India(BHARAT)? European aerospace giant Airbus has stated that intense solar radiation can corrupt data in a critical computer System of the flight control system.

This can lead to misinformation being sent to the System that controls the position of an Aircraft in the Air while flying. The same risk has been found in A320 Aircraft worldwide. This defect is being considered by the company as a critical failure and requires immediate attention. It is for this reason that the company has issued software updates or new hardware required for over 6,000 A320 Family aircraft to correct the critical failure.

A major holiday weekend in the United States has seen a disruption that has affected four of the world’s largest operators of the Airbus A320 model: Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and United Airlines. More than 6,000 aircraft are believed to be impacted by this issue. The issue was first detected when a JetBlue Airways aircraft flying from Mexico to the USA experienced a “sudden drop in altitude” in October, as reported by BBC.

What is solar radiation?

According to Dr Ian Getley, a former captain with Qantas and a PhD in the effects of cosmic and solar radiation in aviation, stated that coronal mass ejections (CME) where large amounts of plasma are ejected from the surface of the sun into space, can have a significant impact on aviation operations. The higher the severity of CMEs, the greater the potential for problems related to satellites and types of electronics used aboard aircraft flying at altitudes above 28,000 feet (8.5 km), BBC reported.

Solar radiation is the emission of particles with a high energy the Sun projects out into space. In Normal times, this type of radiation travels towards Earth at a controlled amount, which does not cause harm to Earth or its inhabitants; however, when there is a solar explosion or flare, charged particles will be sent towards Earth on a very large scale. The result of this influx of charged particles may corrupt all high-technology electronics (including Satellites, Navigation systems, Radio Communications, and aircraft controls). Without adequate safeguards in existence, charged particles can inadvertently send false signals to computers, possibly creating catastrophic system malfunctions for complex machinery, for instance, the case of airplanes.