TORONTO [Peter Paul Media] — A precautionary fleet action from Airbus has expanded into a worldwide investigation after several international carriers reported irregular software behavior in an Airbus A320-family jetliner.
European regulators first circulated a chilling technical notice on November 28th after several operators reported irregular diagnostic readings on the ground involving the Elevator Aileron Computer.
“An Airbus A320 aeroplane recently experienced an uncommanded and limited pitch down event,” the notice from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said. “The autopilot remained engaged throughout the event, with a brief and limited loss of altitude, and the rest of the flight was uneventful.”
“This condition, if not corrected, could lead in the worst-case scenario to an uncommanded elevator movement that may result in exceeding the aircraft’s structural capability. To address this potential unsafe condition, Airbus issued the AOT, providing instructions to install a serviceable ELAC.”
Airbus said Friday in a statement that “intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls. The issue reportedly affects a navigation-related software module and is now being examined alongside an active period of solar radiation.
The manufacturer, responding to inquiries from multiple jurisdictions, said its engineering teams in Toulouse and Hamburg are analyzing system-log data collected from several international carriers.
Airbus has not identified a root cause but have acknowledged that environmental factors—including elevated radiation exposure at high altitude—are now part of the investigation.
A recent Reuters report said, ” … Several passengers were hurt following a sharp loss of altitude,” on an A320 arriving from Cancún to Newark, New Jersey on October 30.
The aircraft made an emergency landing in Florida and none of the injuries were serious, the report said. The incident was immediately logged and forwarded to Airbus and international regulators as part of a broader pattern of recent A320-family software anomalies.
Since the notice’s release, carriers in Asia, South America, and the Middle East have confirmed that they, too, have observed the sporadic software behavior. Agencies in Australia and Japan have issued their own monitoring directives, and U.S. regulators are evaluating whether an interim airworthiness recommendation is required.
Over the past several months, satellites have recorded intensified bursts of solar radiation and geomagnetic disturbances, occasionally affecting GPS accuracy on the ground and at standard cruising altitudes.
Aviation meteorological units in Europe and Canada have reported short-lived periods of increased space weather disturbances, which can degrade certain navigation signals and cause data spikes in aircraft computers.
Airbus has not confirmed any link, but several countries are now sharing solar-weather telemetry with the manufacturer as part of the diagnostic process. They are expected to finalize a software remedy once the cause is identified, with a provisional update anticipated within weeks.
Affected models:
A319-111, A319-112, A319-113, A319-114, A319-115, A319-131, A319-132, A319-133, A319-151N, A319-153N, A319-171N, A319-173N, A320-211, A320-212, A320-214, A320-215, A320-216, A320- 231, A320-232, A320-233, A320-251N, A320-252N, A320-253N, A320-271N, A320-272N, A320-273N, A321-211, A321-212, A321-213, A321-231, A321-232, A321-251N, A321-252N, A321-253N, A321-251NX, A321-252NX, A321-253NX, A321-271N, A321 272N, A321-271NX and A321-272NX aeroplanes, all serial numbers.
Timeline:
1977–1981: Airbus begins conceptual work on a next-generation narrow-body jet featuring advanced digital avionics and fuel-efficient engines.
1984: The A320 program is officially launched, emphasizing the world’s first commercial “fly-by-wire” control system in a passenger aircraft.
1987: The first A320 prototype completes its maiden flight from Toulouse.
1988: The A320 enters commercial service with Air France, marking a major shift toward digital cockpits in global aviation.
1993: The stretched A321 variant performs its first flight, offering higher capacity for dense European and North American routes.
1996: The shorter A319 enters service, becoming a favourite among airlines operating medium-traffic routes, including several Canadian carriers.
2003: The even smaller A318 debuts; although produced in limited numbers, it expands the A320 family range.
2010: Airbus announces the A320neo (“new engine option”), designed to cut fuel burn and noise while modernizing avionics and software.
2016: The A320neo enters service and rapidly becomes the fastest-selling aircraft line in Airbus history.
2020s: The A320 family surpasses 18,000 orders worldwide, becoming the most widely used short- and medium-haul jet series on the planet — including extensive use across Canada.
2025: Investigators launch a global software review of certain A320-family jets after ground crews worldwide report intermittent navigation initialization anomalies.
Editor’s note: Updated with grammatical and style corrections, adds sources, quotes from Airbus, EASA, additional insight fromEuropean Union Aviation Safety Agency; Subheaders removed. Added affected models list from EASA. Changes headline to refect latest updates. Updated: 11/30/2025 4:12 a.m. EST. Featured Photo: Laurent ERRERA from L’Union, France, derivative work Lämpel, CC BY-SA 2.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Peter Paul Media 