Airlines worldwide scrambled to adjust schedules heading into the weekend after Airbus issued an urgent recall affecting 6,000 A320-family aircraft, which make up more than half of the global fleet. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Friday instructed operators to immediately perform repairs as a “precautionary action,” prompting widespread delays and cancellations.

The recall mainly requires reverting to earlier flight-control software. The fix is described as simple but mandatory before aircraft can return to service. According to a bulletin seen by Reuters, around 3,000 A320-family jets were airborne at the time the notice was issued, marking one of the largest recalls in Airbus’s 55-year history.

The disruption coincided with the US Thanksgiving holiday. Delta said fewer than 50 of its A321neo aircraft were affected, while United reported six grounded jets and expected only minor delays. Hawaiian Airlines said its fleet remained unaffected.

American Airlines, the world’s largest A320 operator, confirmed that roughly 340 of its 480 jets require the update. The carrier expects most fixes to be completed by Saturday, noting each plane needs about two hours of work.

Airlines respond with cancellations and limited ticket sales

The impact was more severe in parts of Asia and Latin America. Australia’s Jetstar canceled domestic flights, while Japan’s ANA Holdings grounded several single-aisle Airbus aircraft, forcing the cancellation of 65 domestic flights on Saturday and warning of possible further disruptions.

Colombian carrier Avianca said more than 70% of its fleet was affected. It temporarily halted ticket sales for travel until 8 December, citing an urgent need to manage available capacity.

In Europe, Lufthansa, IndiGo, and easyJet confirmed brief withdrawals of aircraft from service for repairs. EasyJet initially warned passengers of delays but later said it expected operations to normalize on Saturday after completing most updates. British Airways reported only three aircraft required changes and anticipated no operational impact.

Recall linked to flight-control data errors caused by solar radiation

Airbus said a recent technical incident revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data within a crucial system regulating the aircraft’s pitch. The issue was traced to the ELAC flight-control computer, which interprets pilot commands to the aircraft’s elevators.

“Airbus acknowledges these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers,” the manufacturer said.

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The triggering incident is understood to involve an October 30 JetBlue flight from Cancun to Newark, in which at least 15 passengers were injured after the aircraft suddenly dropped altitude and diverted to Tampa. 

Thales, the French manufacturer of the ELAC computer, stated that the equipment meets Airbus specifications and that the relevant software is not its responsibility.

Critical time for air travel

The grounding comes at a time when repair facilities are facing shortages in maintenance resources, compounded by hundreds of Airbus jets already offline awaiting engine inspections and repairs.

UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the impact on British carriers appeared “limited,” with only a small number of aircraft requiring more extensive updates.

More than 11,300 Airbus A320-family jets are currently in operation worldwide. The model first flew in 1987 and helped pioneer fly-by-wire controls in commercial aviation. It recently surpassed Boeing’s 737 as the most-delivered passenger jet in history.