UPDATE: Global airlines are scrambling to address a critical software glitch affecting the Airbus A320 jets, following a partial recall that has already disrupted hundreds of flights in Asia and Europe. The timing could not be worse, as the recall comes just before the high-demand Thanksgiving weekend in the United States.
The situation escalated rapidly after global regulators mandated fixes for the affected aircraft. Airlines worked tirelessly through the night, and by Saturday morning, many, including American Airlines, Air India, Delta Air Lines, and Wizz Air, reported significant progress, with some declaring they had completed repairs. As of now, most operations remain unaffected, easing concerns of a travel crisis.
According to Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, the recall involves over 6000 planes, more than half of the global A320-family fleet. Faury expressed his regret in a LinkedIn post, stating, “I want to sincerely apologise to our airline customers and passengers who are impacted now.” The recall was triggered by an incident on an October 30 JetBlue flight, which experienced an unintended loss of altitude, injuring 10 passengers.
Authorities have indicated that the alert landed during a period when most European and Asian airlines were concluding their schedules, allowing time for necessary repairs. However, the timing poses a significant challenge for U.S. airlines, which see an increase in demand during the holiday period.
Steven Greenway, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Flyadeal, noted the recall’s timing mitigated potential chaos. His airline fixed all 13 affected jets and expects to resume normal operations by midnight. “It was a great team effort but our luck also held up in the timing,” he told Reuters.
Airlines are reverting to an earlier software version that controls the nose angle of the affected jets. Some older aircraft may also require hardware changes. However, industry sources suggest that repairs may be less extensive than initially thought, with fewer than the projected 1000 planes needing major hardware adjustments.
Despite the rapid response, the situation presents a unique challenge amidst ongoing maintenance pressures due to labor and parts shortages globally. John Strickland, a UK-based aviation consultant, emphasized the difficulties of managing such operational challenges at short notice.
Airbus has confirmed that the repair process for each jet requires two to three hours, and airlines must complete the fix before the planes can resume passenger flights. With approximately 11,300 A320 jets in service worldwide, including 6440 of the core model, the impacts are significant for major low-cost carriers.
As of now, data from Cirium and FlightAware indicates that most global airports are experiencing good-to-moderate levels of delays, suggesting a coordinated effort to mitigate disruptions.
Travelers and industry stakeholders are urged to stay updated as the situation develops, especially as airlines continue to implement fixes ahead of the busy holiday travel period.
