Airbus A350 (airliner)

2019: The error in software requiring permanent reset of the airplane

At the end of July, 2019 it became known that because of defect in software some models of the Airbus A350 airliners still require hard reset in 149 hours, despite the warnings of the Agency on aviation security of the EU (EASA) for the first time released in 2017.

In the reviewed directive on the flight validity which is becoming effective since July 26, 2019, EASA urged operators to reboot completely the A350 airplanes each 149 hours to prevent "partial or total loss of control over some systems or functions".

Because of defects in software airlines are forced to reboot the Airbus A350 airplanes each 149 hours

The reviewed directive exempts only those A350-941 on which it was changed production to software from liability. Events of 2017 when during operation loss of communication between some systems of avionics and network of the airplane was noted formed a basis for the directive. Effects of failures varied from "loss of redundant data" before "total loss of the specific function placed on the general remote hub of data", i.e. inexplicable failures of the digital systems, crucial for flight.

The rival of Airbus — Boeing company — also suffered from the same problem: in 2015 on models 787 Dreamliner the overrun error of memory because of which generators of the airplane were switched-off after 248 days of continuous work was found. According to the directive on the flight validity, the problem of this kind is solved extremely simply: operators need to set a software update of Airbus or just to reboot all networks of the airplane each 149 hours.

Among airlines which purchased A350-941 model it is possible to note Air France, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Lufthansa and also Air China and Taiwan China Airlines. Two airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, purchased A350-1041 model other than affected A350-941.^[1]

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