TLDR
- Airbus shares fell 5.3% Monday after solar radiation was found to corrupt flight control data on roughly 6,000 A320-family aircraft
- A JetBlue flight experienced an uncommanded pitch down on October 30, prompting the emergency directive from European aviation regulators
- Most affected jets have been fixed through software updates, with fewer than 100 planes remaining to be modified
- Separate fuselage panel quality problems on dozens of A320 jets are now delaying some deliveries
- Airlines worldwide moved quickly to implement fixes, with most operations returning to normal
Airbus shares tumbled 5.3% in Monday trading after the plane maker announced a software vulnerability affecting thousands of aircraft. The issue stems from intense solar radiation corrupting critical flight control data.
The European manufacturer issued a precautionary fleet action on Friday covering affected A320-family jets. European Union Aviation Safety Agency accompanied the move with an emergency safety directive.
Roughly 6,000 aircraft required immediate attention. The A320 family has more than 11,000 planes flying globally, making it one of the most popular commercial jet lines.
The vulnerability came to light after JetBlue flight 1230 experienced an uncommanded altitude drop on October 30. The plane’s autopilot remained engaged throughout the brief event. The flight continued without further problems.
What Caused the Problem
Investigators traced the issue to the aircraft’s Elevator Aileron Computer. Airbus determined intense solar radiation can corrupt data essential to flight control system operations.
The affected computers needed either replacement or software modification before the next flight. Thales produces the ELAC hardware, though analysts noted the French company wasn’t responsible for the vulnerable software.
Deutsche Bank analyst Christophe Menard called it “a massive recall caused by cosmic radiation.” He said the financial impact was still being assessed but praised the rapid industry response.
By Monday, Airbus confirmed the vast majority of potentially impacted aircraft had received necessary fixes. Fewer than 100 planes awaited modifications.
Global Airline Response
Carriers moved swiftly to address the issue. American Airlines reported four of its 209 affected planes still needed work by late Saturday. JetBlue cancelled dozens of Sunday flights to complete updates.
European airlines including easyJet, Wizz Air, and Lufthansa Group finished modifications overnight. They returned to normal schedules quickly.
Asian carriers faced more disruption. ANA cancelled 95 flights Saturday, impacting 13,200 passengers. Jetstar Airways and Air New Zealand temporarily grounded portions of their fleets. India’s IndiGo checked 160 of 200 aircraft without cancelling service.
About 85% of affected planes could be fixed through software rollback, according to Deutsche Bank. The remaining 15% need hardware replacements requiring aircraft to ferry to maintenance facilities.
Delivery Concerns Mount
A separate manufacturing issue has surfaced involving fuselage panels on several dozen A320 jets. Reuters reported the problem is delaying some deliveries, citing industry sources.
The panel issue’s cause remains unidentified. No in-service aircraft have been affected so far.
These challenges arrive as Airbus pursues its year-end delivery target of around 820 aircraft. The company handed over 72 planes in November, bringing 2025 deliveries to 657.
Meeting the goal requires exceeding the December 2019 record of 138 deliveries. Analysts expressed doubt about reaching the target given recent setbacks.
RBC Capital Markets analyst Ken Herbert said Airbus won’t use the software issue as an excuse for missing delivery guidance. Goldman Sachs warned of potential 2026 delivery disruptions tied to hardware replacement parts availability.
Deutsche Bank noted Airbus hasn’t revised full-year 2025 guidance. The bank estimates 95% of software-affected aircraft could return to service by December 20. Remaining planes should be operational between January and March 2026.
Investors showed concern despite limited operational impact. The market remains sensitive to flight control software problems following the 737 MAX crashes. No accidents have resulted from the solar radiation vulnerability.
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