November 29 – Asian carriers faced a turbulent start to the weekend as a major recall of Airbus (AIR.PA) A320 family aircraft forced flight cancellations, delays, and emergency rescheduling across the region. The recall, which affects about 6,000 aircraft worldwide, has created a domino effect that began in the United States earlier in the week and quickly spread across Asia, where the A320 series is a dominant fixture of short haul travel. With millions of passengers preparing for year end journeys, airlines moved urgently to apply a required software fix before aircraft could return to regular operations.
The scale of the recall is significant, covering more than half of the global A320 fleet. These aircraft form the backbone of air travel across major Asian markets, especially in China and India where rapid economic expansion has dramatically increased both domestic and international flight demand. As regulators stepped in to mandate corrective action, carriers mobilized technical teams across airports to complete the necessary resets and inspections.
Operational Challenges Intensify
Regulatory bodies worldwide issued directives instructing airlines to install corrected software on affected A319, A320, and A321 models. The software in question manages components such as the elevators and ailerons, both of which are essential in maintaining stable aircraft control. Officials emphasized that the fix is straightforward and involves reverting systems to an earlier version, yet stressed that aircraft must remain grounded until the update is completed for safety compliance.
In India, aviation authorities confirmed that 338 Airbus aircraft across the country required software intervention. IndiGo, the largest airline in India and one of the biggest A320 operators globally, reported that it had already completed resets on 160 of its 200 impacted aircraft. Air India, which had 113 jets affected, announced it had completed updates on 42. Both carriers informed passengers of possible delays but clarified that they expected only minor effects on scheduling.
Taiwanese regulators issued similar instructions. Approximately two thirds of the 67 A320 and A321 aircraft operating under Taiwanese carriers needed updates, prompting airlines to begin immediate maintenance checks. In nearby Macao, officials directed Air Macau to adjust its operations and reschedule flights when necessary to limit disruptions.
In Japan, the impact was more severe for ANA Holdings. As the largest operator of Airbus single aisle jets in the country, the airline was forced to cancel 95 flights in a single day, affecting about 13,500 travelers. Peach Aviation, a low cost affiliate of ANA, faced its own set of interruptions. By contrast, Japan Airlines, which relies mostly on Boeing aircraft, reported no disruptions linked to the software issue.
Carriers Worldwide Move Swiftly
Australia also experienced delays. Jetstar, the budget arm of the national carrier, confirmed that the recall forced alterations to flight plans, and local news outlets reported heavy delays at Melbourne Airport. South Korean airlines moved quickly as well. Asiana Airlines stated that only 17 of its planes were affected and expected minimal operational difficulties. Korean Air planned to return 10 aircraft to service after completing the necessary updates. South Korea’s Transport Ministry indicated that upgrades on 42 aircraft across the country were expected to be finished by early Sunday.
Hong Kong based HK Express reported that more than half of its affected fleet had already been updated and that operations were continuing normally. Meanwhile in the United States, where the recall first drew public attention, one of the world’s largest A320 operators confirmed that 340 of its 480 single aisle aircraft required the fix and that most were expected to be completed by Saturday.
The recall extended across Europe and the Middle East as well. Several prominent carriers, including major German, British, and Middle Eastern airlines, confirmed that they were implementing the necessary measures on their fleets. Air Arabia, a major low cost airline, announced plans to apply all required updates, while Avianca in Colombia faced one of the most significant challenges among global carriers. With more than 70 percent of its fleet affected, the airline temporarily halted ticket sales for travel dates up to December 8 in order to stabilize operations.
Industry insiders revealed that the sweeping recall was triggered by an incident in late October involving a sudden loss of altitude on a flight traveling from Cancun to Newark. Several passengers were injured during the event, prompting further investigation into potential software vulnerabilities within the A320 family. Once the underlying issue was identified, aviation authorities moved quickly to notify carriers and require immediate compliance.