Global Flights Disrupted as Airbus A320 Software Glitch Triggers Massive Groundings

Asian airlines scrambled on Saturday to fix a software malfunction in their Airbus A320 fleets after a sweeping recall from the European manufacturer forced aircraft groundings across the region, intensifying travel disruptions that began in the United States during one of the busiest holiday weekends of the year.

The recall, covering 6,000 aircraft, affects more than half of Airbus’s global A320 fleet, a backbone of short-haul aviation in Asia, particularly in China and India. Regulators worldwide followed the lead of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), instructing their airlines to address the A320 software glitch before flights are cleared to resume.

Airbus issued the notice to 350 airlines globally, marking one of the largest recalls in the company’s 55-year history. It comes just weeks after the A320 surpassed Boeing’s 737 as the most delivered aircraft model.

In the U.S., the Federal Aviation Administration ordered carriers to replace or modify software controlling the elevators and ailerons on A319, A320, and A321 jets.

India’s aviation regulator said 338 Airbus aircraft in the country were affected, adding that software resets would be completed by Sunday. IndiGo, India’s largest airline, reported completing updates on 160 of its 200 aircraft.

Japan’s ANA Holdings, the nation’s largest operator of the A320 family, canceled 95 flights on Saturday, disrupting travel plans for approximately 13,500 passengers. Subsidiary Peach Aviation, another major A320 user, also began implementing the required fixes.

Globally, some 11,300 single-aisle aircraft remain in service, including 6,440 A320s. The required remedy involves reverting to older versions of onboard software, a relatively simple task technically, yet mandatory before aircraft can return to the skies.

South Korea’s Korean Air said it anticipated minimal disruption, noting that only 17 of its aircraft were subject to the recall.

American Airlines, the world’s largest A320 operator, reported that 340 of its 480 aircraft require updates and said it expects to complete most of the work by Saturday.

German carrier Lufthansa and UK-based easyJet also confirmed they were carrying out similar corrective actions. Meanwhile, low-cost airline Air Arabia announced it would implement “all required procedures” on affected jets.