Airbus A320 recall disrupts global travel after glitch linked to solar flares

Parts of the world’s air travel network were disrupted Friday after Airbus ordered immediate software fixes for 6,000 A320-series aircraft, a move that affected more than half of the narrow-body fleet and forced airlines to ground jets during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said in a directive that a JetBlue flight on Oct. 30 experienced an “uncommanded and limited pitch down event.”

The disruption quickly spilled into U.S. holiday travel and stretched to Australia. Airbus said it issued the order after “a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls.”

Regulators warned that the issue could lead to “an uncommanded elevator movement” in the worst-case scenario.

American Airlines, the world’s largest A320 operator, told CNBC that the Airbus recall impacted 209 aircraft, down from the more than 340 initially identified.

“As of 6 p.m. CT, American has fewer than 150 aircraft remaining to update,” American Airlines said.

“We expect the overwhelming majority of those to be completed today and through the night, with only a handful remaining for completion tomorrow.”

United Airlines said six aircraft in its fleet were affected, and the carrier expected “minor disruption to a few flights.”

Air India, which is partially owned by Singapore Airlines, said it had completed software updates on over 40% of its affected aircraft and that there were no flight cancellations, although some flights were delayed or rescheduled.

Scoot, another carrier under the Singapore Airlines group, said 21 of its 29 A320s required the fix and that it aimed to complete the work by Saturday.

In Australia, Jetstar Airways canceled around 90 flights after identifying aircraft that required the software correction. The budget airline and its parent company, Qantas, which is Australia’s national flag carrier, together hold about 65% of the domestic market, while rival Virgin Australia has a 33% share.

Japan’s ANA Holdings canceled 65 flights Saturday, Reuters reported. The carrier, along with affiliates such as Peach Aviation, operates the country’s largest Airbus narrow-body fleet, while rival Japan Airlines relies mostly on Boeing aircraft.

The directive — among the largest in the 55-year history of Airbus — hit especially hard in Asia, where the single-aisle A320 family anchors short-haul networks.