A major technical flaw has come to light in the world's highest flying Airbus A320 series aircraft which is directly related to flight safety. Solar radiation, i.e. the strong energy coming from the sun, has created a danger of affecting the flight control systems of these planes. After this, Airbus has ordered airlines around the world to immediately update the software.
Also, it has been said in the order that if necessary, replace the hardware and exercise caution until the complete upgrade is done. This is being said to be the biggest recall operation in the 55 year history of Airbus. This will have a direct impact on about 6000 flights. The effect is visible in India also. There are delays in flights of Indigo, Air India and Air India Express.
The Airbus A320 is the most widely used single-aisle aircraft in the world. But now a serious problem has been discovered in it. Solar radiation can corrupt flight control data. This problem was noticed for the first time on 30 October 2025. An A320 flight bound for Newark suddenly started tilting downwards. It was told that while changing the control switch, the flight control computer read wrong data.
The flight had to be immediately diverted to Tampa Airport in emergency. Some passengers were injured and had to be taken to hospital. Following this incident, Airbus, after a thorough investigation, admitted that intense solar radiation could disturb flight control data, especially data related to flight altitude, direction and stability.
The Sun sometimes rapidly throws plasma and charged particles into space. This is called coronal mass ejection (CME). When these particles enter the Earth's atmosphere, they can affect satellite systems, navigation and flight control electronics at altitudes up to 28,000 feet. A similar incident had also come to light in 2003 when there were navigation problems in flights on the LANew York route.
The A320 series is most commonly used in India, especially by IndiGo which is the world's largest A320 operator. After this, it will also affect Air India and Air India Express. According to PTI, no flights have been canceled at present, but delays of 60 to 90 minutes are being seen in many flights.
Indigo has also issued a statement saying that we are following all safety protocols. Precautionary updates are ongoing. There may be slight changes in the schedule of some flights. Air India has said in its statement that the safety of passengers is the top priority. 40% of our aircraft have been upgraded. No flights have been cancelled, but delays are possible.
