Airlines worldwide faced some flight disruptions as they worked to update software on a common type of airplane. This came after a report suggested the software might have played a part in a JetBlue plane briefly losing altitude last month.
Airbus, the company that makes the planes, stated that strong sunlight could mess with important flight control data on its A320 aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency told airlines to fix the problem with a new software update. This affects over 500 airplanes in the United States.
The EU safety agency warned that the update could cause some flight delays. They said the problem came from a recent update to the plane’s computers.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury apologized for the delays the fix caused.
All Nippon Airways in Japan had to cancel some flights.
The software change happened as many Americans were traveling home after Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel times of the year.
American Airlines said most of its affected planes were updated quickly, and they didn’t expect more major problems.
Air India said they were also working on the fix and hadn’t canceled any flights.
Other airlines, like Delta and United, also reported some minor issues.
Even the Pope’s plane needed the software update while he was traveling.
In Europe, things were mostly back to normal after the updates.
Experts say the software fix only takes a few hours per plane.
This situation highlights the importance of reliable technology in air travel and the need for quick solutions when problems arise, especially during busy travel periods.
