Data corruption hobbles Airbus fleet, firm orders immediate software fix for 6,000 planes due to data corruption from intense sun radiation

Airbus has issued a software fix for 6,000 A320-family planes due to data corruption likely caused by intense solar radiation, following an October incident involving a JetBlue A321. Airlines are instructed to revert affected aircraft to an earlier software load to mitigate the issue. Most planes can be updated quickly, but a subset may require a hardware component swap, leading to some schedule disruptions. The incident highlights the need for manufacturers to maintain the ability to roll back fleets to a known-good configuration. Airbus is working with operators to address the problem while prioritizing safety.