Urgent software update to A320 jets might cause flight chaos in the UK

Travellers in the UK are bracing for possible delays and cancellations after Airbus ordered an immediate software update for a large portion of its A320 family aircraft. The directive follows a recent incident involving a flight-control glitch, prompting regulators to ground affected jets until the update is applied.

The issue was traced to “intense solar radiation” which may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight-control systems on the jets. As a result, about 6,000 A320-family aircraft worldwide — over half of the global fleet — are being updated.

In the UK, the national aviation regulator has confirmed that this software directive could lead to disruption for passengers flying with carriers that use A320 jets. Travellers have been urged to check their flight status carefully.

Most aircraft require only a simple software rollback, a procedure that takes a few hours. Airlines say they aim to get flights back on track quickly.

However, around 1,000 older jets may also need hardware changes — a process that could take days or even weeks — raising the risk of prolonged disruption for some services.

Budget carriers, whose fleets are often heavily weighted toward A320-family jets, are especially vulnerable. Several airlines have already issued warnings about possible cancellations or timetable shifts in the coming days.

Despite the scale of the recall, government and industry officials emphasised that passenger safety remains the top priority. While the disruption may be inconvenient, it ensures that all A320 flights operate without risk of control-system failure.

Travellers are being urged to monitor airline communications and departure alerts closely, especially in the coming weekends — a traditionally busy travel period.

For now, no affected A320 aircraft will be cleared for flight until the mandatory update is complete — and that may ripple through the travel schedule for several days.

Also Read:  Morrisons’ 300-store screen rollout could reshape supermarket marketing