What triggered this urgent action?
JetBlue A320 from Cancun (Mexico) to Newark (US) suddenly lost altitude mid-flight due to corrupted ELAC data. The incident, blamed on solar radiation, injured passengers and prompted an FAA investigation; this led to the global recall.
Intense solar radiation is seen behind data corruption in the ELAC (Elevator Aileron Computer) flight control system, potentially causing uncommanded manoeuvres like sudden altitude drops.
How many planes and airlines are affected?
About 6,000 active A320s worldwide require fixes before next flights, impacting operators like:
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IndiGo (338 affected)
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Air India (138)
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American Airlines (209 of 480)
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Jetstar
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Wizz Air
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Others
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across Asia, Europe, Americas and the US.
How long do updates take, and what’s the global flight impact?
Why do high-altitude planes face solar radiation risks?
Aircraft cruising at 30,000–40,000 feet (9–12 km) encounter far less atmospheric shielding than at sea level, where air molecules absorb most cosmic rays and solar particles.
Above 28,000 feet, Earth’s atmosphere thins dramatically, allowing charged particles from solar flares — protons, electrons, and electromagnetic waves — to penetrate deeply and ionize air, creating secondary radiation showers that bombard electronics and passengers.
During intense solar events like coronal mass ejections (CMEs), these particles flip bits in unshielded memory, corrupting flight control data (e.g., in A320’s ELAC), navigation, and communications; polar routes amplify risks due to weaker magnetic field deflection, according to Aerospace Global News.
What did Airbus say about the updates?
Airlines aim to complete most by late November 30, 2025, via ground maintenance at major hubs, as per aviation industry news site Air Current.
The company apologised for the inconvenience and is committed to supporting operators throughout the process, with safety remaining the absolute top priority.