Thousands of Airbus planes had to be grounded for a software update after it was discovered that intense solar radiation could interfere with onboard flight control computers.
Around 6,000 A320 planes were thought to be affected - half the European firm's global fleet - but many were able to fly again within hours after undergoing the update.
The UK's aviation regulator said there would be "some disruption and cancellations to flights" though the impact at airports appears to be limited.
Airbus said it discovered the issue after an investigation into an incident in which a plane flying between the US and Mexico suddenly lost altitude in October.
The JetBlue Airways flight made an emergency landing in Florida after at least 15 people were injured.
As well as the A320, the company's best-selling aircraft, the vulnerability also impacts the A318, A319 and the A321 models.
It is understood that on around 5,100 Airbus planes, the issue can be addressed using a relatively simple software update which would typically take about three hours.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8e9d13x2z7o
img: ID 286792314 | Airbus A320 © Pavol Stredansky | Dreamstime.com
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