TAP is updating the flight control software for its A320 planes, following problems detected by Airbus, but with “reduced impact” on operations and without the need for cancellations, an official company source told Lusa this Saturday.
“We continue to monitor the situation, the entire impacted fleet is being updated, with reduced impact on the operation and without cancellationsand always having the safety of passengers and crew as top priority”, said the source in a response sent to the Lusa agency.
Airbus announced on Friday, November 28th, the collection of approximately six thousand A320 aircraft for urgent replacement of the software flight control, due to problems caused by exposure to solar radiation.
In a statement, the aeronautical manufacturer informed that it requested all airline customers that use this software to “immediately suspend their flights” following the analysis of a technical incident that occurred on October 30 on a JetBlue flight between Cancún, Mexico, and Newark, near New York, when an aircraft had to make an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida.
Incident analysis “revealed that intense solar radiation can corrupt data essential for the operation of flight controls.”
For most aircraft, the update of software from the previous version will take “a few hours”. But, for around a thousand aircraft, it will involve changing the hardware from the computer“which will take weeks”, a source linked to the process revealed to France-Presse (AFP).
Airbus acknowledged that “these recommendations will cause operational disruptions for passengers and customers.”
“We apologize for the inconvenience caused and will work closely with operators, keeping safety as our absolute and paramount priority,” he added.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) indicated in a statement that it was informed of the situation by Airbus.
“These measures may cause short-term interruptions to flight schedules and, consequently, inconvenience for passengers. However, as always in aviation, safety is paramount”, said EASA.
The Airbus A320, which entered service in 1988, is the best-selling aircraft in the world. In September, Airbus dethroned the Boeing 737, from the North American manufacturer Boeing, whose first unit was delivered in 1968.
At the end of September, Airbus had delivered 12,257 A320 planes (including business class versions), compared to 12,254 Boeing 737s.