AireXpert Case Studies

When Solar Flares Knocked out Two Airbus Operators, They Had Radically Different Results

A rare solar-radiation anomaly triggered an emergency directive requiring immediate software reversions across thousands of Airbus aircraft. For airlines operating large A320-family fleets, the directive created an abrupt operational challenge: dozens to hundreds of aircraft required service before they could return to flight.Two carriers of similar size—referred to as Airline One and Airline Two—experienced the same technical issue. Both had comparable Airbus narrowbody footprints, similar route structures, and similar staffing levels. Yet the disruption played out very differently for each operator.While Airline One restored the majority of its affected aircraft in a matter of hours, Airline Two navigated prolonged operational turbulence lasting more than a week.This case study explores why.