HIBAPRESS
Several countries around the world announced today, Saturday, that they had begun to implement the required inspection and maintenance procedures, following the emergency airworthiness notification issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), regarding the Airbus A320 aircraft fleet.
The origin of the problem: The violent landing that revealed the fault The crisis began on October 30, 2025, when an Airbus A320-232 aircraft on a flight between Cancun and Newark experienced a sudden and violent landing within a few seconds. The aircraft lost about 2,800 feet (850 meters) in just 4 to 5 seconds, at a descent rate of 15,000 feet per minute, which led to several injuries during the emergency landing.
The investigation revealed that the aircraft was within the range of a strong G4-class solar storm, one of the most severe storms during the current solar cycle. The high-energy charged particles caused the aircraft's systems to be penetrated and reached the computer controlling the elevators and ailerons.
This intervention corrupted the EEPROM memory data within the system, which led to the sending of wrong commands to the elevator, causing a sharp descent without any control from the crew.
UAE: Inspection is underway and no impact on air traffic The General Civil Aviation Authority in the UAE confirmed that all national companies operating A320 aircraft have already begun to implement the required inspections and maintenance.
The Authority explained that it is directly following up on the procedures with the European agency and airlines to ensure full compliance with safety standards, stressing that air traffic in the country has not been affected.
Saudi Arabia: Preventive measures for aircraft registered in the Kingdom In Saudi Arabia, the Civil Aviation Authority announced that a number of A320 aircraft registered in the Kingdom are subject to the precautionary guidance issued by EASA.
The Authority explained that the step comes within the full commitment to aviation safety regulations, and that the application of the highest air safety standards remains a top priority.
India: Software updates include half the fleet The Indian Civil Aviation Authority reported that airlines have completed the required software upgrades for more than half of the A320 aircraft fleet of 338 aircraft.
It added that the update operations caused minor delays ranging from 60 to 90 minutes, without recording any flight cancellations.
EgyptAir forms a team to follow up on updates EgyptAir announced the formation of a specialized working team to follow up on the technical updates received from "Airbus", and to implement the precautionary measures immediately, while assessing any potential impact on operating schedules.
United States and Japan: Strict measures and flight cancellations The US Federal Aviation Administration joined the European agency in enforcing the implementation of the new software update on American companies operating A320 aircraft.
In Japan, All Nippon Airways had to cancel 65 domestic flights on Saturday, due to the need for inspection and updating.
