Airlines resume flights after global Airbus system upgrade

December 1 ------ AIR travel operations returned to normal after a global system upgrade forced Philippine carriers to briefly ground Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, prompting flight delays, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific completed the mandatory software updates on their affected Airbus fleets on Saturday, allowing full resumption of flights. “ PAL finished the software update for all its affected Airbus 320 and 321 units. Early this morning, around 4 a.m., Cebu Pacific also completed its update,” Lopez said in an interview. “We can expect normal airport and flight operations today.” AirAsia Philippines also complied with the upgrade required by both Airbus and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), he added.

The global directive stemmed from technical glitches reportedly detected in some Airbus aircraft abroad as early as late October and November 7. Initial findings pointed to a flaw that may be triggered by solar radiation, which could interfere with an aircraft’s flight control data system. “That’s a major system inside the aircraft. Anything could happen if it’s compromised,” Lopez said. “It’s a safety risk, and if something occurs while the plane is already in the air, it becomes very dangerous.”

EASA and Airbus advised aviation authorities worldwide to perform the software update before the next flight of affected aircraft — a directive Lopez described as “too specific to ignore.” While some countries, such as the United States, opted to complete busy travel schedules first before grounding aircraft for updates due to Thanksgiving traffic, the Philippines decided to suspend flights immediately as a precaution. “When we receive directives like this from an international agency, we need to act,” Lopez said. He urged passengers with scheduled flights to stay in touch with their airlines for any remaining adjustments, though he emphasized that the situation has “normalized.” “We are confident our airports and aircraft are now operating as usual,” he said.

Source: manilatimes.net