Toulouse, France – November 28, 2025 – Airbus has issued an urgent software recall affecting approximately 6,000 A320-family aircraft worldwide after a flight control incident exposed a vulnerability to intense solar radiation. The fix must be applied before the next routine flight, creating widespread potential delays during a peak travel weekend.

Flight Incident Sparks Recall

The recall follows an October 30 incident involving JetBlue Flight 1230 from Cancun to Newark, during which passengers were injured after a sudden uncommanded drop in altitude. The flight made an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating, while Airbus and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) are implementing the emergency software update.

Airbus stated: “Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in service which may be impacted. These recommendations will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers.”

Scope and Impact

• American Airlines: ~340 of 480 A320 jets affected; repairs take about two hours per aircraft.
• Avianca: Over 70% of fleet impacted; ticket sales closed for affected dates.
• ANA (Japan): 65 flight cancellations reported.
• Airlines in Europe and India, including Lufthansa, easyJet, and Air India, have temporarily grounded aircraft to complete software and hardware updates.

The recall affects about half of the global A320 fleet. Some jets may require additional hardware changes, potentially extending downtime.

Technical Details

The issue centers on the ELAC (elevator and aileron computer) system, which controls the aircraft’s pitch via commands from the pilot’s side-stick. Airbus traced the problem to the software controlling the system, though the hardware manufacturer, Thales, confirmed the computer meets Airbus specifications.

Launched in 1984, the A320 was the first mainstream commercial plane with fly-by-wire controls and competes directly with Boeing’s 737 MAX. With over 11,300 A320-family jets in service, the model recently overtook the 737 as the most-delivered aircraft worldwide.

Global Aviation Disruption

The recall coincides with a period of high travel demand, causing immediate delays and cancellations in Europe, North America, and Asia. Airlines are prioritizing affected aircraft for rapid software replacement to minimize passenger disruption.

Airbus warned that the recall represents one of the largest mass fixes in its 55-year history.