About 6,000 planes are expected to be grounded after Airbus issued an urgent safety update to airlines today.
The European aerospace company said passengers may experience “operational disruptions” due to the need for an urgent software update for some A320 aircraft.
It comes after a plane in that line made an emergency landing last month after a sudden drop in altitude.
In a statement to airlines, Airbus said solar radiation interferes with software and corrupts crucial data.
A message from the manufacturer’s headquarters in Toulouse said: ‘Analysis of a recent event involving an A320 family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation can corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls.
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Airbus has therefore identified a significant number of A320 family aircraft currently in service that may be affected.
“Airbus has proactively worked with aviation authorities to require immediate precautionary measures from operators through an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT) to implement available software and/or hardware protections and ensure the fleet can fly safely.
‘This AOT will be reflected in an Emergency Airworthiness Directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
“Airbus recognizes that these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions for passengers and customers. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and will work closely with the operators, with safety remaining our top priority.”
Airbus is one of the two largest aerospace companies in the world, along with its American competitor Boeing.
The A320 is one of the world’s most popular short-haul aircraft, with more than 6,000 currently in service around the world.
British airlines with large fleets include EasyJet and British Airways.
The latest advice to airlines is believed to relate to an incident involving a JetBlue plane last month, which suddenly descended at cruising altitude.
Fifteen people were injured in the dive, which caused the flight from Mexico to divert to Tampa, Florida.
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