Airbus recalls around 6,500 A320 jets due to software issue
….Slight disruptions expected in global civil aviation.
Europe’s Airbus issued a directive on Friday night to recall more than 6,000 of its popular A320 jets due to software issues. A flight from Cancun, Mexico to New Jersey in October was reported to have experienced mid-air incident that resulted lost significant altitude, causing many passengers to suffer injuries. As a result, and after thorough investigations, it was decided there might be a Solar flare that affected the software relating to the aircraft’s elevation system.
The recall, according to Reuters could be the largest in Airbus’ 55 years, coming weeks after the A320 overtook the Boeing 737 as the most-delivered model. At the time Airbus issued the directive, about 3,000 A320 were said to be in the air.
While flight disruptions are expected across different continents, American Airlines said it would require about two hours to fix its 340 of its 480 A320 aircraft. Other airlines are looking at ways to schedule repairs, including Germany’s Lufthansa, India’s IndiGo and Uk’s Wizz.
The Civil Aviation in Nigeria is yet to issue directive on this. A number of Airlines operate the 20 A320 aircraft in the country. There is a likelihood the recall could have impact on the local aviation industry.