An Airbus A321 aircraft of Vietnam Airlines. (Photo courtersy of Vietnam AIrlines)
The European aircraft manufacturer issued an urgent Alert Operations Transmission (AOT) late on November 28, warning of a potential software malfunction affecting flight control.
Airbus said in a statement it found the issue after an analysis of an incident involving an A320 plane found that "intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls."
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), subsequently issued Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) 2025-0268-E, requiring airlines operating Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft to replace affected equipment or update software in the ELAC flight-control computer, which is responsible for controlling pitch and roll.
It is reported at the meeting at November 28 night between the CAAV and domestic carriers that 81 out of 169 A320 and A321 aircraft in their fleets could be affected, which could cause disruptions to some flights in coming days to carry out fixing.
CAAV Director Uong Viet Dung described the situation as force majeure, urging priority to ensure absolute safety. He urged domestic carriers to complete the required fixes as soon as possible.
He also asked airlines to review their flight schedules, especially between November 30 and December 31, to make appropriate adjustments and minimise cancellations as well as promptly inform passengers of any changes and provide support to affected passengers, including free rebooking or refunds.
Vietnam Airlines said on November 29 that it had received instructions from aircraft manufacturer Airbus and the CAAV to update software on its Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft.
To ensure safe operations, the airline said its entire A320/A321 fleet must complete the software update package provided by Airbus by 6:59 a.m. on November 30 local time.
The carrier has swiftly implemented fixings at its technical facilities in Noi Bai, Da Nang and Tan Son Nhat, adding that it has all necessary tools, manuals and software supplied by Airbus. The update process is expected to take an average of about one hour per aircraft, according to the airline.
Vietnam Airlines confirmed it would complete the updates before the deadline and fully comply with all safety requirements set by CAAV and Airbus.
Right on the night of November 28, Bamboo Airways urgently conducted a comprehensive inspection and review of its entire fleet.
Accordingly, all A320/A321 aircraft currently operated by Bamboo Airways are not among the affected aircraft. Therefore, the airline’s flights continue to operate normally as scheduled, along with the operation of other Boeing aircraft.
Bamboo Airways is continuing to closely monitor updates from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam and aircraft manufacturer Airbus to ensure absolute operational safety.
Meanwhile, immediately upon receiving the notification, Vietjet promptly activated its technical response plan, mobilizing maintenance teams at the airline’s engineering bases at Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai, and Da Nang airports, as well as at overseas facilities, to carry out the updates.
As of the morning of November 29, Vietjet had completed updates on 45 out of 69 affected aircraft. The airline is continuing to accelerate the process to ensure its entire fleet meets all technical requirements within the timeline set by the authorities and Airbus.
The carriers affirms that operations on November 29 and from November 30 onward remain normal, with no impact on passengers’ travel plans.
Safety is always Vietjet’s foremost priority, it said, noting with a strong safety management system, effective operational capabilities, and a professional team ready to respond to any situation, the airline ensures continuous and seamless operations./.
