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Solar Radiation Attack on Airbus A320: There is a stir in the entire aviation industry after the solar radiation attack on the Airbus flight coming to New York. Following the directive of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Airbus A320 family aircraft are being upgraded all over the world. After Europe, DGCA has issued directives in India also. At the same time, as news is coming out on this issue, the restlessness of the passengers is increasing. The reason for this uneasiness is all the questions for which passengers are searching for answers. So these questions arise in your mind, know their answers.
Solar Radiation Attack on Airbus A320: Sun rays have now become an unknown enemy for the planes flying in the sky. On October 30, the JetBlue Airlines flight to New York was given a fresh blow by solar radiation emanating from the Sun. Due to this shock the flight pitched down and 15 passengers were injured. There is a stir in the whole world after this incident. Investigation revealed that the problem was related to the elevator and aileron computer (ELAC), which controls the pitch and roll of the aircraft.
After this incident, first the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and then the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an emergency airworthiness directive directing the planes to be updated before the next flight. Airbus has started updating the software of more than 6,000 A320 planes. Older models may also require hardware replacement, which may take a few hours to days. 200-250 flights of Indigo, Air India and Air India Express have been affected in India. Experts say that such incidents may increase as the solar cycle reaches its peak.
After this entire incident, some questions have started arising in the minds of the passengers. Let us know what those questions are and what are their correct answers:
Solar radiation in the form of high-energy particles damages computer memory in the ELAC system of the Airbus A320. These particles flip data bits from 0 to 1 or vice versa, causing the pilot’s side-stick commands to become false signals. This could lead to an uncontrolled pitch-down, as happened in the JetBlue flight. As for the ‘bit flip’, Airbus’ investigation proved that the L104 software version is sensitive to this radiation, which can corrupt flight control data. Due to this the structural limits of the aircraft may be exceeded.
How big is the risk of solar radiation and how much damage can it cause to the structure of the plane?
According to experts, the risk ranges from medium to high. The solar cycle is at its peak in November 2025, where flares may occur 10-20 times a year. Planes flying at high altitude are more sensitive to radiation above 28,000 feet. There is no direct damage to the structure, but uncontrolled movement can overload the elevator, exceeding the aircraft’s structural limits and causing a crash. According to EASA, repeated exposure can degrade the electronics, but the immediate danger is flight control failure.
Is this problem only in Airbus A320? Are Boeing aircraft immune to this problem?
No, this problem is not A320 specific, but related to ELAC L104 software. A319, A320, A321 are all affected. Aircraft like Boeing’s 737 MAX also depend on fly-by-wire system, so there is a risk of bit flip due to solar radiation, but no specific incident or directive has come yet. Experts say that Boeing’s systems have better radiation-tolerant design, but no electronic system is completely safe.
Which airlines of India are affected by this problem and what effect is it having on flights?
In India, 200 planes of Indigo, 113 of Air India and 25 of Air India Express are mainly affected. There are a total of 338 A320 planes in India. 200-250 flights have been affected by this. Indigo has completed 143 updates. Delay in flights continues due to upgradation at hubs like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru. Air India has made about 42 updates so far. DCGA has now ordered the upgrade of around 41 variants of Airbus along with A320, due to which weekend travel may be affected.
How long will it take for ELAC to update and when will flight operations return to normal?
Software rollback in the new A320neo will take 30 minutes to 3 hours. Hardware changes in older CEO models will take 1-2 days. According to Airbus, 85% of the planes will be repaired soon. Indigo-Air India Group in India has updated 56%. The upgradation of all aircraft will be completed from Monday to Tuesday. While most of the global fleet will be upgraded by November 30, it may take weeks for the 1,000 old planes. The EASA deadline is before the next flight.
How capable are the planes to deal with the problems that may arise due to solar radiation?
According to experts, bit flip due to solar radiation can cause problems like uncontrolled pitch-down, autopilot failure, communication blackout. If the impact is large, structural damage may also occur. The situation can also be handled with double ELAC redundancy, crew training and quick recovery protocols. After the update, the planes will be 99% safe with error checking and radiation shielding. Pilots can do manual override, but it is necessary to reduce altitude on solar storm alert.
