The Azorean aviation group has confirmed receiving a notification from Airbus on Friday afternoon, which necessitates the immediate software update on the A320 Neo, A321 Neo, and A321 Neo LR aircraft in the Azores Airlines fleet. Azores Airlines manages external connections for the archipelago.
Currently, the airline’s fleet includes nine Airbus aircraft, seven of which are scheduled for operations in the coming days. This update does not affect the two A320 Ceo model planes.
Proactively cooperating with Airbus, the airline has adjusted its operational planning to conduct all necessary procedures during flight rotations, aiming to complete the updates by the deadline of November 29 at 11:59 PM.
SATA has outlined that the planning ensures operations continue in compliance with the highest safety standards set by the manufacturer and the industry, while maintaining air connections and minimizing passenger inconvenience.
The SATA group does not anticipate significant cancellations or delays for Azores Airlines flights.
If there are any changes, passengers with confirmed reservations will be promptly informed through standard communication channels, considering the details in their respective bookings.
Airbus announced on Friday the recall of approximately 6,000 A320 aircraft for an urgent flight control software replacement, due to issues caused by solar radiation exposure.
The aircraft manufacturer has requested all client airlines using this software to “immediately suspend their flights,” following the analysis of a technical incident on October 30. This incident involved a JetBlue flight from Cancún, Mexico, to Newark, near New York, which had to make an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida.
The incident analysis revealed that intense solar radiation can corrupt essential data for flight control functions.
For most aircraft, updating the software from the previous version will take “a few hours.” However, around 1,000 aircraft will require a computer hardware change, which “will take weeks,” according to a source familiar with the process.
The Airbus A320, introduced in 1988, is the world’s best-selling aircraft. In September, Airbus surpassed the Boeing 737, from U.S. manufacturer Boeing, which delivered its first unit in 1968.
As of late September, Airbus had delivered 12,257 A320 aircraft (including executive class versions), compared to 12,254 Boeing 737s.
