Airbus issues major A320 recall, triggering global flight disruptions

Airbus has issued an emergency recall of about 6,000 A320-family aircraft, warning airlines worldwide to conduct immediate software fixes that could temporarily ground more than half of the global fleet. 

The directive, announced on Friday (Nov 28), comes at the height of the United States’ busiest travel weekend and is expected to disrupt flight schedules across Asia, Europe and the Americas.

The repair involves reverting to an earlier version of flight-control software linked to the aircraft’s ELAC system, which manages tail-elevator and aileron commands. 

Although the fix takes roughly two hours, Airbus has instructed that affected aircraft cannot operate commercial flights until the update is completed, except for repositioning to repair stations. 

Over 350 airlines received the bulletin, with about 3,000 A320-family jets in the air at the time it was issued.

Japan’s ANA Holdings cancelled 65 flights on Saturday after grounding part of its A320 fleet, while fellow Japanese carrier Peach Aviation is also affected. 

Rival Japan Airlines remains largely unaffected due to its predominantly Boeing-operated fleet. 

Singapore’s Scoot said 21 of its 29 A320 jets require the fix and that work was underway to minimise delays. 

Asiana Airlines in South Korea reported no significant disruptions while repairs to its 17 aircraft continue.

In the United States, American Airlines—the world’s largest A320 operator—said around 340 of its 480 aircraft need the update and expects most repairs to be completed within a day. 

Other major operators including Lufthansa, IndiGo, easyJet and Avianca have begun grounding planes briefly for the mandatory software rollback. 

Colombia’s Avianca, whose fleet is heavily A320-based, has suspended ticket sales for travel until December 8.

The emergency recall follows an incident on a JetBlue flight on October 30, where a suspected software malfunction linked to solar flare-related data corruption caused a sudden altitude drop, injuring several passengers. 

The aircraft diverted to Tampa, prompting an FAA investigation and a subsequent emergency directive by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

More than 1,000 jets may also require hardware changes, potentially extending downtime. 

Airlines warn that scheduling repairs will be challenging as maintenance facilities worldwide are already strained by labour shortages and engine-related grounding of Airbus jets.

Despite the disruption, many carriers expect to complete the fix during routine overnight checks, though some—such as Air France, Volaris, and Air New Zealand—have announced delays and cancellations as they work through their fleets.