Anna Hartz
Air travel faced major disruptions over the weekend after Airbus ordered the immediate recall of thousands of A320 aircraft.
Airlines around the world canceled or delayed flights while they carried out urgent maintenance. More than 6,000 planes in the A320 family are affected, which is more than half of Airbus’s global fleet, writes Digi24.
Airlines impacted include Wizz Air, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Air France, British Airways, EasyJet, American Airlines, Delta, and others. Wizz Air confirmed some of its planes need a software update. The company said it has already scheduled maintenance and informed passengers of possible changes.
Software Updates
“Some of our aircraft are among the more than 6,500 Airbus A320 family planes worldwide that need a software update,” Wizz Air said. “We have scheduled the necessary maintenance to ensure full compliance. Passengers with reservations will be notified of any schedule changes.”
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which certifies the A320, called the recall a precautionary measure. The software fix mainly involves rolling back to an earlier version, and planes cannot fly until the update is completed.
American Airlines, the largest operator of A320 aircraft, said 340 of its 480 planes need the update. Each update will take about two hours. The airline expects most work to be finished by Saturday. Lufthansa said only a few cancellations or delays are expected, as each maintenance session takes several hours.
A Precaution
British Airways has just three short-haul planes affected. Air France canceled 35 flights on Friday, November 28. Turkish Airlines said eight planes will return to service after the software fixes.
EasyJet reported it has already updated many of its aircraft and plans to operate a normal schedule on Saturday. Other affected airlines include Air New Zealand, Air India, Air India Express, Indigo, Volaris, Viva, Aer Lingus, United Airlines, and Azul.
Airlines are working as fast as possible to complete the updates and minimize disruptions. Passengers are advised to check their flight schedules, as delays or changes may occur even as maintenance is completed.
Airbus and the aviation authorities emphasize that the recall is a precaution. No safety incidents have been reported, but the update is mandatory before the planes can return to service. Airlines are cooperating closely to keep the A320 fleet flying safely.
Sources: Digi24
