Airbus recalls 6,000 A320 aircraft after solar radiation flight control fault
Airbus recalled approximately 6,000 A320 aircraft on 28 November 2025 following an uncontrolled descent incident involving a JetBlue flight on 30 October, which the manufacturer attributed to solar radiation corrupting critical flight control data. Most aircraft require only software updates lasting hours, but about 1,000 require hardware replacement taking weeks, causing major operational disruptions during peak travel season.
What happened
On 30 October 2025, a JetBlue A320 en route from Cancun, Mexico to Newark, New Jersey experienced an uncontrolled descent without pilot commands, descending approximately 25,000 feet. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida with approximately 10 to 15 passengers not wearing seatbelts injured.
Airbus identified that intense solar radiation corrupted critical flight control system data. On 28 November 2025, the manufacturer ordered an immediate software update for approximately 6,000 A320 aircraft worldwide, representing over half the global fleet.
Reported impact
For approximately two-thirds of affected aircraft, the software update requires a few hours of downtime as airlines revert to a previous software version. Approximately 1,000 aircraft require hardware replacement, including the ELAC system, requiring weeks of downtime.
Airbus acknowledged the directive will cause significant operational disruptions to airlines and passengers during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year in the United States, the Thanksgiving holiday.
Index analysis
The A320 is the most-delivered commercial aircraft in history, surpassing Boeing 737 deliveries for the first time in 2025 with 12,257 deliveries by September. The scale of the recall reflects the aircraft's dominance in global aviation.
Governance controls
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency was expected to issue an urgent airworthiness directive in response to Airbus's recall order.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.