LOCAL AIRLINES have finished updating the software on their Airbus aircraft after an urgent advisory from the manufacturer prompted carriers to ground several planes.
“Cebu Pacific is pleased to inform its passengers that it has successfully completed the mandatory software update across the affected Airbus A320/A321 aircraft, and normal operations have been restored,” the airline said in a statement on Sunday.
On Saturday, the Transportation department said 75 aircraft operated by Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines were affected by the required update.
Airbus issued the directive after a technical advisory flagged a potential safety risk across its A320 family — the A318, A319, A320 and A321 models — following a reported malfunction in October.
“Analysis of a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls,” Airbus said on its website. A “significant number” of A320 Family aircraft in service might be affected, it added.
PAL said all aircraft scheduled for commercial flights that were covered by the mandatory update have completed the upgrade.
“Our technical and engineering teams worked swiftly and meticulously to ensure full compliance within the prescribed timeframe, prioritizing the highest standards of safety and reliability,” it said in a separate statement.
AirAsia Philippines Chief Executive Officer Suresh Bangah said the airline moved quickly to meet Airbus’ requirements. “We want to assure our guests that safety is, and will always be, our top priority,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
The Transportation department said 93 flights were affected by the issue — 82 were canceled and 11 delayed — affecting at least 14,000 passengers. Airlines are offering flexible options, including free rebooking and conversion to travel credits.
“Regardless of how small the glitch might be, when it comes to aviation, it will always have a considerable impact on passenger perception and confidence,” Nigel Paul C. Villarete, senior adviser on public-private partnerships at Libra Konsult, said via Viber.
Air travel continues to recover. Passenger volume reached 46.84 million in the nine months through September, up 6.25% from a year earlier, driven by domestic traffic, the Civil Aeronautics Board reported.
Mr. Villarete said the software update should help strengthen public confidence by ensuring a safer, more reliable avionics system. “We just need to go through the reaction and learning curve as we grapple with passengers’ trust and confidence in our systems,” he said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
