Global Airlines Scramble to Fix Airbus Jet Software Glitch, US Travel Largely Unaffected

Global airlines faced a significant operational challenge this weekend as a software glitch in Airbus A320 family jets prompted a partial recall. While hundreds of flights in Asia and Europe experienced disruptions, U.S. carriers reported minimal impact, successfully completing necessary software updates ahead of the busy Thanksgiving travel period.

Key Takeaways

• A software glitch in Airbus A320 jets led to a recall affecting over half the global fleet.

• Asia and Europe saw flight disruptions, while U.S. travel remained largely on track.

• Airlines worked through the night to apply software fixes, with most completing the task by Sunday.

• Airbus CEO apologized for the inconvenience caused to airlines and passengers.

• The incident stemmed from an earlier flight where an unintended loss of altitude occurred.

Global Response to the Airbus A320 Software Glitch

Global airlines were compelled to address a critical software issue affecting Airbus A320 family aircraft, a situation that led to the grounding of numerous flights, particularly across Asia and Europe. Regulators mandated that airlines rectify the problem before resuming operations. This urgent fix involved reverting to a previous software version that controls the aircraft's nose angle, and in some cases, required hardware modifications, especially for older planes. The process for each jet typically takes two to three hours.

U.S. Travel Avoids Major Disruptions

In the United States, the situation was managed with significantly less disruption. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported that impacted U.S. carriers made "great progress" and were on schedule to complete the required work by Sunday midnight. He assured travelers that major disruptions were not expected. However, JetBlue Airways announced the cancellation of dozens of flights scheduled for Sunday, citing the ongoing software updates for its fleet. While most of JetBlue's A320, A321, and A220 aircraft were unaffected or quickly updated, a portion required further attention.

Impact on Asian and European Carriers

Asian and European airlines experienced more pronounced effects. ANA Holdings, for instance, cancelled 95 flights on Saturday, impacting approximately 13,500 travelers. Taiwan's Tigerair also reported delays for eight flights on Sunday. While the situation caused "short-term headaches for operations," aviation analysts noted it was "not as chaotic as some people might think." The timing of the alert, late in the day for many European and Asian carriers, allowed some breathing room for repairs before peak travel times.

Airbus CEO's Apology and Incident Background

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury issued a public apology to affected airlines and passengers. The recall, which impacts around 6,000 aircraft, or more than half of the A320 family fleet, was triggered by an incident on October 30. During a JetBlue flight from Cancun to Newark, the aircraft experienced an unintended loss of altitude, resulting in injuries to 10 passengers. French accident investigators are probing this incident, categorizing it as the lowest level of potential safety emergency.

Fleet Size and Repair Estimates

Globally, approximately 11,300 single-aisle jets of the A320 family are in service, with the core A320 model accounting for 6,440. Initial estimates suggested up to 1,000 aircraft might require the more time-consuming hardware changes. However, Airbus later indicated that the repairs for some jets might be less complex than initially anticipated, potentially reducing the number needing hardware modifications.

Sources

• Global airlines race to fix Airbus jets; US reports little disruption By Reuters, Investing.com.