Major global flight disruption

Thousands of Airbus planes have been grounded after it was discovered that intense solar radiation could interfere with onboard flight control computers, causing delays around the world.

About 6,000 A320 planes are affected, which is half of Airbus’s global fleet. However, most of them are expected to return to service after receiving a quick software update.

The UK’s aviation regulator said there will be “some disruption and cancellations to flights,” although the overall impact at airports appears limited.

Airbus identified the issue after investigating an incident where a plane flying between the US and Mexico suddenly lost altitude in October. The JetBlue flight made an emergency landing in Florida, where at least 15 people were injured.

The problem affects the A320, as well as the A318, A319 and A321 models.

Around 5,100 Airbus planes can be fixed with a simple three-hour software update. However, about 900 older aircraft need their onboard computers physically replaced, and they will not be allowed to carry passengers until the replacement is completed. How long this takes depends on the availability of new computers.

Airbus has apologised and acknowledged that the issue will cause “operational disruption to passengers and customers.”

Aviation analyst Sally Gethin told BBC News that the situation is “very much out of the ordinary,” and that the impact on passengers will vary depending on how each airline handles the updates.

Some UK airports have reported limited disruption. Gatwick mentioned “some disruption,” while Heathrow reported no cancellations.

The level of impact also varies by airline. British Airways is not heavily affected, while Wizz Air and Air India have already started updates. EasyJet said it expects some disruption but added that it has already updated many aircraft and plans to operate its full schedule on Saturday.

In the US, the discovery came during the busy Thanksgiving travel weekend. American Airlines said 340 of its planes were affected and warned of “some operational delays,” though most updates should be completed by Friday or Saturday. Delta Airlines expects only limited impact.

In Australia, Jetstar cancelled 90 flights after confirming that about a third of its fleet is affected.