A software glitch in the global-positioning systems of Embraer’s next-generation E195-E2 jets triggered the cancellation of more than 80 Azul Linhas Aéreas flights on 22–23 September, stranding an estimated 8,000 travellers and rippling through Brazil’s airport network. The disruption began late Tuesday when flight computers on several aircraft failed to acquire reliable GPS signals during pre-departure checks, forcing crews to abort push-back and return to stand. By Wednesday morning, departure boards in São Paulo-Congonhas, Brasília and Santos Dumont showed clusters of Azul cancellations and multi-hour delays. Congonhas alone listed three scrubbed services to Belo Horizonte and Curitiba plus a delayed shuttle to Rio. Airports in Belo Horizonte (Confins) and Campinas reported more than 30 cancellations each, according to operator statements. The knock-on effect affected connecting flights across Azul’s extensive domestic hub-and-spoke network and left business travellers scrambling for last-minute seats on rival carriers LATAM and Gol. Aircraft manufacturer Embraer confirmed the anomaly but said safety was never compromised, noting that affected jets remained on the ground. Engineers from Embraer, Honeywell (the avionics supplier) and Azul’s maintenance division deployed diagnostic teams overnight. Preliminary data point to a faulty satellite-time rollover in the GPS firmware that caused position-initialisation errors—similar to incidents that grounded some business jets in 2021. A patch is expected within 48 hours, but aircraft must each undergo a software reload and validation flight before re-entering service. Azul asked passengers to rebook online or seek refunds and advised against travelling to the airport without a confirmed seat. The carrier is also waiving fare differences for affected customers until 30 September. Travel-risk consultancies urged multinational employers to monitor itineraries for staff in Brazil and consider teleconferencing alternatives where possible. Cargo schedules were largely unaffected because Azul’s freighter fleet uses older A320s. The outage reignites debate over the resilience of increasingly software-dependent avionics. Brazilian regulators may review minimum-equipment-list provisions for GPS redundancy, while corporate travel buyers should verify that TMC alerts capture avionics-related disruptions alongside weather and ATC strikes. For assignees on home-leave rotation or regional executives commuting weekly between São Paulo and Brasília, contingency planning—such as flexible tickets on multiple carriers—remains critical in Latin America’s volatile operating environment.
Source: Folha de S.Paulo
