Critical vulnerability in Airbus A320: downgrade or replace a Thales ELAC “before next flight” ✈️👊🌞🛬💥
More than 6,000 Airbus A320 planes were grounded yesterday because of the discovery of a safety-critical vulnerability in one of the key components used in the fly-by-wire system - the ELAC (Elevator and Aileron Computer).
The system is responsible for translating the pilot’s actions to the aircraft’s internal control systems, and in Airbus (as well as some other manufacturers) it was made by Thales.
What we know so far:
1️⃣ ELAC appears to be affected by solar radiation during flight, which can impact the safety of the aircraft.
2️⃣ The affected version is ELAC B L104; the non-affected version is ELAC B L103+.
3️⃣ An emergency fix must be applied immediately, “before the next flight.”
4️⃣ The fix may include replacing the affected component or, according to some sources, downgrading the software on the affected unit.
Thales’s comment to Reuters on this vulnerability:”... the computer complies with Airbus specifications and the functionality in question is supported by software that is not under Thales’ responsibility.”
Interesting… Well, I’ll wait for new details, and hopefully they will be made public so I can share them. Stay safe, and make sure your Airbus has been patched!
More details:
Airbus issues major A320 recall [News]: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/airbus-issues-major-a320-recall-after-flight-control-incident-2025-11-28/
Electrical Flight Controls, From Airbus A320/330/340 to Future Military Transport Aircraft: A Family of Fault-Tolerant Systems [PDF]: https://helitavia.com/avionics/TheAvionicsHandbook_Cap_12.pdf
EASA Emergency Airworthiness Directive 2025-0268-E [PDF]: https://ad.easa.europa.eu/blob/EASA_AD_2025_0268_E.pdf/EAD_2025-0268-E_1
