Airbus ordered an immediate software update for its A320 family of planes after an in-flight incident revealed that intense solar radiation could corrupt essential flight controls.
Regulators issued emergency guidance, prompting many operators to briefly ground aircraft while fixes were applied.
The scope was large: Airbus estimates around 6,000 jets worldwide were affected.
More on space weather
Most required a straightforward software update that took around two hours, while a smaller group needed more extensive hardware modifications.
The action was prompted after an investigation into an incident in October 2025 in which JetBlue flight 1230 from Cancún to Newark had to make an emergency landing in Florida.
The A320 involved suffered a flight-control issue that caused a sudden drop in altitude, leaving some passengers with non-life-threatening injuries. During the investigation, a vulnerability to solar flares emerged.
As the aviation industry grows more automated and electronics-dependent, understanding space-weather threats is increasingly vital.
Recent NASA studies suggest that space weather is becoming more intense and frequent, with the Sun currently in a stronger-than-expected activity cycle (solar cycle 25) and potentially entering a period of elevated activity that could last decades.
Space weather is therefore now part of the flightplan, with aviation authorities integrating alerts into operations.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center provides real-time warnings so airlines and airports can mitigate risks by rerouting aircraft, increasing shielding margins or adjusting schedules.
