Airlines such as American Airlines, Air India, Xizz Air, and Air New Zealand have warned throughout Friday of delays, disruptions, and cancellations in their services following Airbus’s warning regarding a problem with the A320neo family of aircraft currently in service.
In the United States, American Airlines estimates that around 340 of its aircraft have been affected by the announcement, anticipating “some operational delays.” However, the company expects that most of the updates required for the proper functioning of its systems will be completed between today and tomorrow (Saturday).
Delta Airlines, also from the United States, has guaranteed that it will comply with the safety guidelines issued by Airbus and expressed optimism, stating that it expects “any resulting operational impact to be limited.”
JetBlue and United Airlines are among the other airlines affected in the United States, which is celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) predicted last week that it would see the highest level of activity in 15 years for the holiday, according to CNN.
In Europe, Wizz Air has warned passengers with flights scheduled for this weekend of possible disruptions due to an Airbus upgrade.
Meanwhile, British airline EasyJet has notified its customers that it is “currently working closely with safety authorities and Airbus to implement the necessary measures,” adding that it will “inform customers directly about any changes to its flight schedule tomorrow, doing everything possible to minimize the impact.”
Similarly, Gatwick Airport, one of London’s main airports, has reported disruptions to approximately 80 flights scheduled for Friday for the same reason. In contrast, other airports, such as Heathrow, have reported that “the maintenance required on some Airbus aircraft currently has no impact on their operations.”
This situation illustrates, as Tim Johnson from the UK Civil Aviation Authority explained, “since not all airlines in the country fly Airbus A320s or the affected aircraft, for some airlines there will be no impact at all.”
“For some, there may be some impact.” “My advice is to check airline websites and apps for the latest information on what’s happening,” Johnson told the BBC.
In any case, a directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has determined that, starting this Saturday, November 29, affected aircraft will be allowed to carry passengers once they have been repaired. Until then, they will only be permitted to operate empty flights to maintenance facilities.
On the other side of the globe, Air New Zealand shared on its social media that the “global software issue affecting Airbus A320neo aircraft” will impact its regular service.
“As a precautionary measure, all our A320neo aircraft will receive a software update before operating their next passenger service,” the airline stated on its account, guaranteeing that they will contact customers directly whose flights are among those affected.
Similarly, the Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA), one of the leading carriers Japanese airlines have announced the cancellation of more than 60 flights so far due to problems with their Airbus A320 fleet, stating that the inspection of each aircraft will take approximately four hours. According to the Kyodo news agency, these cancellations have affected around 9,500 passengers.
This Friday, Airbus identified a problem with the A320neo family of aircraft, currently in service, and urged operators working with this model to take immediate preventative measures.
Analysis of a recent incident involving an A320 family aircraft revealed that intense solar radiation can corrupt data critical to the operation of flight controls.
The European manufacturer has identified a significant number of A320 family aircraft in service that could be affected and has collaborated with aviation authorities to request that operators take immediate preventative measures through an Alert to Operator (AOT) transmission to implement available software and/or hardware protections and ensure fleet safety.
Airbus has stated that it is aware these recommendations will cause operational disruptions for passengers and has apologized for any inconvenience caused, emphasizing that it will work with its partners, maintaining safety as its number one and absolute priority.
