Global air travel disrupted as Airbus issues major A320 recall following mid-air incident

Global air travel is facing major disruption after aerospace giant Airbus issued an immediate recall for around 6,000 of its A320-family jets, comprising almost half of the worldwide fleet of the model.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued an urgent directive stating that “precautionary” was prompted by a recent incident.

As per the investigations, intense solar radiation could corrupt critical data in flight-control computers.

Industry sources identified the triggering event as a October 30 JetBlue flight from Mexico to the U.S., which experienced a sudden altitude drop, injuring 15 passengers.

The recall involves reverting to an earlier software version for the Elevator and Aileron Computer (ELAC).

While the update itself is quite simple, it must be completed before each aircraft can return to service, forcing airlines worldwide to ground planes.

With the immediate fallout, American airlines, the world’s largest A320 operator stated 340 of its 480 aircraft need the update.

In Japan, All Nippon Airways (ANA) cancelled 65 flights on Saturday, November 29.

Colombian carrier Avianca, with over 70% of its fleet affected, halted ticket sales for upcoming travel.

The timing coincides with the busy U.S. Thanksgiving holiday weekend. However, the UK’s transport secretary noted the impact on British airlines appeared “limited.” This recall marks one of the largest in Airbus’s 55-year history.