In a statement, Airbus said a recent incident involving an A320-family aircraft had revealed intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls.

"Airbus acknowledges these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers," the company said.

"We apologise for the inconvenience caused and will work closely with operators, while keeping safety as our number one and overriding priority.”

The issue is thought to affect more than half the model’s global fleet. Airbus data indicates there are around 11,300 A320-family aircraft in operation, including 6,440 of the core A320 model.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) confirmed on Friday evening that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had issued a directive orderin

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