Airbus orders software fix after JetBlue altitude drop: Check flight delays at MCO

ORLANDO, Fla. - Two major aviation authorities say a widely used Airbus aircraft requires a rapid software fix after a JetBlue plane experienced a sharp altitude drop linked to corrupted flight-control data. 

The update comes at a challenging time, as millions of U.S. travelers return home from Thanksgiving.

What we know:

Airbus and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have confirmed that A320-family aircraft need a software update after intense solar radiation was found capable of corrupting data essential to the plane’s flight-control systems. 

The directive follows an Oct. 30 JetBlue incident in which the aircraft suddenly lost altitude, injuring at least 15 passengers. Airlines including American, Delta, United, and JetBlue have begun installing the fix, which typically takes about two hours and may cause short-term flight delays.

Check your flight status at MCO

Impacts were minimal at Orlando International Airport (MCO), as flights appeared to be on time late Friday evening. You can check your flight status here. 

What we don't know:

Authorities have not yet detailed whether additional long-term safeguards or design changes will be required beyond the software update. Investigators also have not fully explained the precise mechanism by which solar radiation compromised the aircraft’s data systems or whether similar incidents have occurred but gone unreported.

The backstory:

The A320 family, introduced in the late 1980s and updated with more efficient engines as the A320neo series in the mid-2010s, is the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft and a core competitor to Boeing’s 737. 

Airbus, headquartered in France with registration in the Netherlands, serves airlines worldwide, making any fleetwide directive highly impactful. 

The JetBlue flight involved in the October incident was traveling from Cancun to Newark when the sudden altitude loss forced a diversion to Tampa.

What they're saying:

Mike Stengel of AeroDynamic Advisory noted the timing challenge.

"Definitely not ideal for this to be happening on a very ubiquitous aircraft on a busy holiday weekend," though he added that "the silver lining [is] that it only should take a few hours to update the software."

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American Airlines said safety remains its "overriding priority" as it works to minimize disruptions during the holiday return rush.

JetBlue emphasized cooperation with regulatory agencies, stating, "Safety is always our highest priority… Our teams are doing everything possible to minimize disruptions to customers as this work is completed."

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