Flights disrupted after Airbus discovers intense sun radiation could impact flight control data

Sunday, November 30, 2025 -Airbus has announced an urgent safety update affecting roughly 6,000 of its A320‑family aircraft — about half of its global fleet — following the discovery that intense solar radiation can corrupt data crucial to flight‑control systems.

The issue came to light after a recent incident involving a JetBlue Airways A320 on a flight from Cancun to Newark on October 30, which experienced a sudden drop in altitude at cruising — an uncontrolled pitch down — forcing an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida. 

At least 15 passengers were injured. The malfunction was traced to the aircraft’s flight‑control computer (ELAC — Elevator/Aileron Computer), where solar radiation was found to pose a risk of “bit‑flip” errors that could lead to dangerous, uncommanded control inputs.

In response, an emergency directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ordered all affected A320‑family aircraft to receive immediate software or hardware updates before carrying passengers again. 

Airlines worldwide — including major carriers — have scrambled to implement the fixes, leading to delays, cancellations, and temporary groundings. While many planes only require a software patch (typically taking a few hours), older jets will need computer replacements, lengthening the disruption.