An Airbus A320 aircraft on Sunday. (AP-NEWSIS) A large-scale software-related recall for Airbus’ A320 family of jets is not expected to cause major flight delays or cancellations in South Korea, as required software updates are set to be completed within hours, the transport ministry said Saturday.
Of the 80 A320-family aircraft operating in South Korea, 42 are subject to the global recall. As of 6 p.m., 40 had undergone the required software update, with the remaining two slated for completion before midnight, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The ministry said the update takes less than an hour per aircraft.
“The government is monitoring each airline’s compliance in real time under the principle of ‘safety first’ and will take immediate action in the event of significant delays or operational disruptions,” a ministry official said.
Airbus on Friday issued the recall after identifying a software flaw capable of causing serious flight-safety issues, including unintended rapid descent.
Acknowledging the recall’s potential impact on passengers, Airbus apologized for the inconvenience and said it is working closely with operators while keeping safety as its “number one and overriding priority.”
Following the findings, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued an emergency directive to national aviation authorities requiring immediate software replacement or modification before affected aircraft continue operations.
The directive was prompted by an investigation into a sudden-descent incident involving a JetBlue Airways Corp. A320 en route from Mexico to the United States on Oct. 30, which found that intense solar radiation had interfered with the aircraft’s elevator aileron computer flight-control program.
Based on the investigation, EASA mandated that all A320 and A321 aircraft complete the global ELAC software update by 8:59 a.m. on Nov. 30.
In South Korea, five airlines — Korean Air Co., Asiana Airlines Inc., Air Busan Co., Air Seoul Inc. and Aero K Airlines Co. — operate a total of 80 A320-family jets.
An Asiana Airlines official said 17 of its 24 A320-series jets require the software fix, adding that all updates can be completed during regular ground time with “no impact on the flight schedule.” (Yonhap)