Aer Lingus says software updates now fully complete on Airbus A320 fleet
An Aer Lingus A320 taking off. Aer Lingus completed a software update on its fleet without operational disruption. Picture: David Creedon
Aer Lingus has completed the software updates on its Airbus A320 fleet following a glitch which impacted airlines globally.
A major software glitch forced an urgent update for Airbus SE’s most widely flown aircraft, with a rapid response put in place by airlines. The Airbus A320 is seen as the backbone of the Aer Lingus short haul fleet across Europe.Â
"Following the recent EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) directive regarding software on the Airbus A320 family of aircraft, Aer Lingus has now fully completed the required software installation on all of its impacted aircraft. This process was completed without operational disruption," a statement from Aer Lingus said.
The fix mainly involves reverting to earlier software, but it needed to be done before the planes could fly again.
The Airbus update came after at least 15 JetBlue passengers were injured last month after an A320 aircraft suddenly dropped in altitude, forcing an emergency landing in Florida. Airbus said that an examination of the JetBlue incident revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls on the A320 family of aircraft.
Airbus ordered immediate repairs to 6,000 of its widely used A320 jets in a sweeping recall affecting more than half the global fleet. It came on Thanksgiving, the busiest travel weekend of the year in the US.
Only three British Airways aircraft required the software update. Other airlines that said they had carried out software updates included EasyJet, Wizz Air, American Airlines, United Airlines, Air India, Qatar Airways, Air Asia, Delta Air Lines, Hungary’s Wizz Air, Mexico's Volaris, Air Arabia, and Saudia. Many reported no impact on operations.
In the US, all impacted carriers were on track to meet the Sunday midnight deadline to complete the required work, US transportation secretary Sean Duffy said.
Additional reporting by Reuters and Press Association
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
