Airbus

Airbus has issued an urgent global recall covering about 6,000 A320-family jets—more than half of all aircraft in service—after engineers traced a series of flight-control anomalies to recent bursts of extreme solar activity.

The issue involves the Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC), a core component that manages pitch and roll. Investigators found that intense solar radiation may corrupt certain data processes inside the unit. Airbus is directing airlines to replace specific control computers and revert to a more resilient software version.

The move follows a serious incident on October 30, when a JetBlue flight traveling from Cancún to Newark suddenly pitched downward without pilot input. The aircraft lost altitude abruptly, injuring several passengers before diverting safely to Tampa. The unexplained control input prompted a broader technical review.

The timing coincides with an unusually active period for the sun. On November 11, it emitted an X5.1-class flare—the most powerful of 2025—along with three coronal mass ejections. The resulting G4 geomagnetic storm caused radio blackouts across multiple continents and produced a rare Ground Level Enhancement, in which high-energy particles break through Earth’s magnetic defenses.

With the sun at the peak of its cycle, space-weather disruptions are expected to remain frequent. European regulators responded swiftly: EASA issued an emergency directive grounding all affected aircraft until corrective measures are completed. Major carriers such as American Airlines, Lufthansa, and Avianca are now scrambling to meet the requirements during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Although the technical fix is considered straightforward, aircraft cannot return to service until the updated components and software are installed.