Airbus has initiated an urgent global repair program for 6,000 of its widely used A320-family aircraft, a move that affects more than half of the world’s fleet and is already causing significant travel disruptions across the United States and internationally. The directive was confirmed on Friday after investigators linked a recent in-flight incident to possible software corruption triggered by solar flares. Airbus has warned that this glitch may affect flight-control data and must be corrected before aircraft continue normal operations. According to the bulletin sent to more than 350 operators, the fix primarily requires rolling back affected systems to an earlier software version. Except for repositioning flights headed to repair bases, aircraft will remain grounded until the update is completed.
More than 3,000 A320-family jets were airborne at the time the bulletin was issued, highlighting the scale of the global disruption. Industry specialists note that this recall may be among the largest in Airbus’ 55-year history, arriving just weeks after the A320 officially surpassed Boeing’s 737 as the world’s most-delivered aircraft model.
Airlines across the US, Europe, India, South America, and New Zealand have already reported cancellations, delays, and grounded jets as they work through mandatory repairs. American Airlines, the world’s largest operator of the A320 series, confirmed that 340 of its 480 aircraft require updates and expects most fixes to be completed by Saturday, with each aircraft needing roughly two hours of maintenance. Lufthansa reported that a limited number of its flights would be disrupted over the weekend due to lengthy implementation procedures. Colombian carrier Avianca, heavily reliant on the A320, said more than 70 percent of its fleet is affected and has halted ticket sales through December 8 because of major operational impacts. Air France cancelled 35 flights on Friday alone, representing around five percent of its daily operations. Air New Zealand also warned of cancellations as its A320neo aircraft undergo software updates before their next departures.
Airlines such as easyJet have already completed many of their updates and expect normal operations, while others including Wizz Air, IndiGo, Turkish Airlines, Latam, Volaris, Air India, Air India Express, Aer Lingus, and Viva continue to experience varying levels of disruption. United Airlines and Brazil’s Azul reported that they are not affected by the recall.
Globally, about 11,300 A320-family jets are in service, including more than 6,400 of the core A320 model. Experts say that around two-thirds of the affected aircraft will only need software changes, but more than 1,000 may require hardware adjustments as well. This could extend downtime significantly, especially since maintenance hangars are already overwhelmed with ongoing engine-repair backlogs and staffing shortages. Aviation analyst Mike Stengel described the timing as “far from ideal,” especially with heavy holiday travel demand, but noted that the software rollback itself is relatively quick and can often be completed between scheduled flights.
The recall was triggered by an incident involving a JetBlue flight traveling from Cancun to Newark on October 30. The aircraft experienced a sudden and uncommanded altitude drop that injured several passengers. It later diverted to Tampa, Florida, due to a flight-control malfunction now believed to be linked to the software issue. The FAA has opened an investigation, though neither the agency nor JetBlue has commented publicly on the recall. Later on Friday, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued an emergency directive requiring all affected operators to apply the Airbus-recommended fix.
Airbus traced the issue to the aircraft’s ELAC system, or Elevator and Aileron Computer, which converts pilot inputs into pitch-control movements. Thales, the French company that manufactures the ELAC hardware, emphasized that its systems meet Airbus specifications and that the faulty functionality involves Airbus-managed software, not Thales hardware.
As airlines rush to comply, disruptions continue across multiple continents. A Finnair flight was delayed nearly an hour while pilots verified software versions. Volaris warned passengers of 48- to 72-hour operational impacts, and Air India expects extended turnaround times as part of its fleet undergoes software and hardware realignment. While some carriers, including Turkish Airlines and Aer Lingus, anticipate minimal disruption, others face days of challenges ahead as global maintenance capacity tightens and peak holiday travel intensifies.
