Airbus Orders Software Change for A320 Family, Disrupting Global Flights

PARIS, Dec 1 (Reuters) – Airbus ordered immediate software changes for its A320 family of jets, impacting roughly 6,000 aircraft worldwide. The decision came after a potential safety issue was identified following a JetBlue flight incident on October 30.

The software updates, which must be completed before the next flight, threaten to disrupt air travel during the busy holiday season. Airlines from Asia to the United States reported delays and cancellations as they implemented the retrofits.

Airbus stated that the majority of jets affected by the safety alert have been modified, but fewer than 100 still require repairs. Some airlines, including Colombia’s Avianca, have halted bookings until December 8 due to the recall.

This move marks one of the largest emergency recalls in Airbus’s history, following months of intense scrutiny on the aviation industry after the Boeing 737 MAX crisis. “Is Airbus acting with the Boeing MAX crisis in mind? Absolutely — every company in the aviation sector is,” Ronn Torossian, chairman of a public relations firm, commented.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency mandated the software changes after it was discovered that solar radiation could corrupt critical flight control data. Airlines such as American Airlines and easyJet announced they completed the software updates without significant disruption. However, some industry sources reported that the transition was challenging due to reporting lags regarding which aircraft required fixes.

As of now, airlines including Air India and Indonesia’s Lion Air are managing to minimize delays. JetBlue expects to reinstate most of its affected flights soon.

Airbus has acknowledged that operational disruptions are likely, but they continue to work closely with their airline partners to address the issues. “Our teams are working around the clock to support operators as swiftly as possible,” Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury wrote.