Overview
- Airbus told operators of roughly 6,000 A320-family jets to stop flying and requested an EASA emergency directive, then rolled most aircraft back to a prior software version within hours.
- French transport minister Philippe Tabarot said the number of aircraft needing longer hardware replacement has fallen to about a hundred, down from initial estimates near a thousand.
- The action stems from an October 30 JetBlue A320 that suddenly pitched down in cruise and diverted to Tampa, where authorities reported passenger injuries.
- Operational effects varied: Air France canceled 35 flights in France, Lufthansa reported no cancellations, easyJet completed its interventions, and American Airlines expected updates on the large majority of its roughly 340 affected jets by Saturday.
- The vulnerable function resides in the ELAC flight‑control computer supplied by Thales hardware; Thales says the software at issue is not its responsibility, and Airbus has not identified the software vendor.