Airlines are working to update their software to avoid disruptions and delays or cancellations during the Airbus incident - Photo: CONG Trung
At 11 PM on November 28th (Vietnam time), Airbus issued an emergency alert, and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) immediately required all A319, A320, and A321 aircraft to update or replace their ELAC (Electronic Altitude and Navigation Control) software before 6:59 AM on November 30th.
This software can be susceptible to solar radiation interference, causing the aircraft to "plunge"—a fault that once forced an A320 in the US to make an emergency landing.
"A historic race"
That same night, the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority held an emergency meeting with the airlines. At 5:30 AM on November 29th, it was determined that 81 out of 169 aircraft needed a software update.
Speaking to Tuổi Trẻ newspaper , airline leaders and aircraft engineers alike called this a "historic race against time," with only 32 hours between the announcement and completion. A race against time had begun.
On the night of November 28th, Vietjet CEO Dinh Viet Phuong received a call from the Airbus CEO informing him that an urgent technical directive would be issued that night. EASA then announced the deadline: from 6:59 AM on November 30th, nearly 32 hours before the deadline, aircraft that had not yet updated their software would not be allowed to take off.
Nearly 6,000 aircraft worldwide were affected, including 69 Vietjet aircraft and 18 Vietnam Airlines aircraft in Vietnam.
Airbus's urgent warning estimates that each aircraft requires 2-3 hours for a software update. In Vietnam, there are only a few specialized equipment sets, while dozens of aircraft are operating in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, China, and other countries.
All scenarios regarding flight schedules and the deployment of wide-body aircraft to handle the trunk routes have been considered. If the project is not completed on time, tens of thousands of passengers could be affected and the international flight network could be thrown into chaos.
Vietjet immediately activated its Emergency Committee, mobilizing the AMOS system – big data and AI technology – to conduct a real-time review of its fleet. Across all bases, the entire team quickly coordinated to race against time to ensure operational continuity.
From "3 hours down to 45 minutes"
On the night of November 28th, Da Nang had 5 aircraft that needed immediate attention, and the following morning, another 4 were added.
According to Airbus's instructions, each aircraft requires 2-3 hours for a software update, but in Da Nang, Vietjet engineer Nguyen Van Trung, with over 15 years of experience, completed the entire process in a record time of just 45 minutes.
According to engineer Trung, "updating the software" of an aircraft is a complex process, nothing like pressing an update button on a phone or laptop. It's a series of interconnected operations requiring absolute precision. For example, determining the aircraft's configuration, because each aircraft has its own unique configuration.
The engineering teams had to simultaneously check the system, standardize the software, run tests, and compare parameters. One person operated the system, while another controlled and verified the documentation. "No step was skipped, but we knew exactly what to do and where to do it quickly," Trung shared.
His years of experience and prior work with this type of software helped him find the optimal way to shorten technical operations and data retrieval time, while still fully complying with all mandatory safety procedures.
The first aircraft, VN-A644, successfully updated in just 45 minutes – a moment that the Vietjet Emergency Management Committee called a "moment of revival".
The 45-minute procedure was immediately shared with the technical teams on duty at Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, and other international airports. This completely reversed the course of the "battle."
Alongside the software update, Vietjet is also preparing a "hardware backup" plan by removing ELAC units from aircraft currently parked at the airport for replacement. Vietjet Thailand, Vietnam Airlines, and Bamboo Airways have also provided equipment to speed up the process.
On November 29th, the affected aircraft were scheduled to have their software reloaded between two flights at the three main bases: Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, and Da Nang.
During the nail-biting 32-hour "rescue" of the Airbus A320 fleet by Vietjet's engineering team - Photo: N.QUANG
Updates include planes currently being painted in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, at Vietnam Airlines, despite having a less affected fleet than Vietjet, they immediately activated technical procedures and simultaneously deployed software updates at their three facilities in Noi Bai, Da Nang, and Tan Son Nhat at midnight on November 28th.
Vaeco's technical team, along with support from the manufacturer and coordination between the technical and flight operations departments, carried out the updates quickly and throughout the night.
By 1:00 AM on November 30th, all 19 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft of Vietnam Airlines, including one currently being painted in Indonesia, had completed the software update. Vietnam Airlines' operations returned to normal on November 30th.
"Proactive early implementation helped minimize the impact on flight schedules and maintain operational activities. Although some flights were affected by delays, the impact was insignificant," said a representative from Vietnam Airlines.
For Vietjet, the key to success lies in its AMOS and AI technology system, which enables rapid and immediate configuration review in real time.
The availability of standardized software libraries, readiness for software updates, and digitized procedures on iPads have contributed to shortening administrative procedures, accelerating technology, and still adhering to safety standards.
In just over 32 hours, the entire fleet was repaired, ensuring that no A320/A321 aircraft were grounded due to software errors.
"When Da Nang reported that the update was complete within 45 minutes, the entire emergency response room erupted in cheers. From then on, we dared to recalculate the entire 69-flight plan," said Mr. To Viet Thang, Deputy General Director of Vietjet.
By 3:00 AM on November 30th, the company had completed this task, nearly four hours ahead of the deadline.
For the Vietnamese engineering team, this was not just about software development, but about demonstrating their technical, data-driven, and collaborative capabilities in the extremely high-pressure environment of the aviation industry.
According to Mr. Thang, in the history of Vietnamese aviation technology, the last 32 hours of November 2025 will likely be remembered for a nationwide technology-engineering and coordinated campaign that shortened processing time from 3 hours to just 45 minutes for each aircraft in urgent situations.
How will international airlines be affected?
Many international airlines have also been racing to update the software for their Airbus A320 fleets, resulting in disruptions due to unexpected flight shutdowns.
According to Asahi Shimbun, Japanese airline ANA had to ground 34 aircraft, canceling 95 flights, affecting 13,500 passengers; Nippon Airways canceled 65 flights; Japan Airlines was unaffected as it primarily uses Boeing aircraft.
In India, IndiGo had 200 aircraft and Air India had 113 aircraft subject to rework, most of which were on schedule. However, shortly afterward, IndiGo canceled approximately 1,000 more flights due to insufficient preparation for the new regulations on pilot flight times and rest periods.
Despite the widespread impact, many airlines reported that Airbus issuing the warning in the evening, when the A320 is less frequently used, allowed them to update aircraft overnight, minimizing disruption. Some airlines even found that updating an aircraft took less than an hour.
Unexpected incident, airline responds quickly.
Mr. Uong Viet Dung, Director of the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority, assessed that although the number of aircraft requiring software updates this time is very large, the airlines proactively took action right from the moment Airbus issued the urgent alert and EASA officially issued the directive.
Domestic airlines had made thorough preparations, both technically and in terms of personnel, enabling them to complete the Emergency Airworthiness Order (EAD) before it took effect.
Based on a comprehensive review of all resources, from personnel, equipment, and tools to software, the airlines quickly developed optimal plans, balancing flight schedules and flight suspension plans to ensure normal operations while accelerating the update process as required by manufacturers and international regulatory agencies.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/32-gio-giai-cuu-doi-bay-airbus-a320-20251208232401689.htm
Comment (0)