Airlines say flights 'as normal' after Airbus alert

AIRLINES easyJet and Wizz Air have confirmed flights continued to operate as normal throughout the weekend despite an urgent software update on some of their aircraft to fix potential problems caused by solar radiation.

- HOLLY WILLIAMS [e-mail]

> An easyJet Airbus A320-214 (G-EZUO) passenger airliner

(Nicholas T Ansell/PA)

Budget airline easyJet said it completed the required update on affected Airbus A320 aircraft, following a notice on Friday from authorities, but that its flying programme ran as normal throughout the weekend and is “expected to continue to do so”.

Low-cost European carrier Wizz Air said 83 of its aircraft needed the immediate update and that this was successfully completed, with no flight cancellations.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the main certifying authority for the A320 family of aircraft, on Friday night issued an instruction to update one of the aircraft's onboard computers as a “precautionary action”.