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JAPAN'S largest airline ANA Holdings was forced to cancel 65 flights on Saturday after a global Airbus A320 recall grounded hundreds of aircraft, highlighting the widespread disruption affecting one of the world’s most common short-haul jets.
Reuters reported today that the recall, prompted by a software issue discovered after a JetBlue flight suffered a sudden loss of altitude in October, affects more than half of the Airbus A320 family fleet, including over 6,400 core A320 jets out of roughly 11,300 in service globally. ANA, along with its affiliates such as Peach Aviation, operates the largest single-aisle Airbus fleet in Japan, while rival Japan Airlines, which primarily uses Boeing aircraft, was largely unaffected.
Airbus said the temporary grounding and mandatory software reversion is necessary to ensure flight safety, though the fix is relatively straightforward.
An Airbus spokesperson confirmed that approximately 6,000 jets worldwide will require the update, while more than 1,000 may also need hardware changes.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued an emergency directive enforcing the repairs.
Industry analysts warned that the recall comes at a challenging time, with airline maintenance shops already overrun due to ongoing engine inspections, labour shortages, and high travel demand.
“The timing is definitely not ideal for an issue like this to arise on one of the most ubiquitous aircraft around the [U.S.] holidays,” said Mike Stengel of AeroDynamic Advisory.
Many airlines are attempting to complete the two-hour software fix between scheduled flights or during overnight checks, though hangar capacity and sequencing remain concerns.
In the United States, American Airlines reported that 340 of its 480 A320 aircraft would require the repair. Airlines in Europe, India, South America and New Zealand have warned that the recall could result in flight delays and cancellations.
Air France said it would cancel 35 flights, approximately 5 per cent of its daily schedule, while Avianca in Colombia suspended ticket sales through December 8 due to the recall affecting more than 70 per cent of its fleet.
The issue was traced to the flight system known as the Elevator and Aileron Computer (ELAC), which sends pilot commands to the aircraft’s rear elevators, controlling the plane’s pitch.
Airbus confirmed the problem was revealed after a JetBlue flight from Cancun to Newark on October 30 suffered a sudden, uncommanded drop in altitude, prompting an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida. Several passengers were injured, although JetBlue and the Federal Aviation Administration have declined to comment on the recall.
Asia’s short-haul aviation network, particularly in China, India and Japan, relies heavily on the A320 family, which has become a cornerstone for low-cost and mainstream carriers alike. South Korea’s Asiana Airlines said only 17 of its aircraft were affected and expected minimal disruption.
Europe’s easyJet announced it had already completed the mandatory software updates, while other carriers, including Lufthansa, IndiGo, and Air New Zealand, are staggering repairs to minimise flight interruptions.
The A320, launched in 1984 as the first mainstream jetliner with “fly-by-wire” computer controls, overtook Boeing’s 737 in deliveries earlier this year, cementing its role as the backbone of global short-haul aviation.
Aviation analyst Rob Morris noted that the recall could create bottlenecks in repair facilities and strain already stretched airline maintenance schedules.
Passengers across Asia, Europe and the Americas experienced delays as crews verified software versions and repositioned affected jets to maintenance centres.
The recall underscores the ongoing challenges faced by airlines operating complex fleets and the critical importance of software reliability in modern aircraft, echoing concerns raised by previous incidents such as the Boeing 737 MAX grounding.
The incident has sent ripples throughout global aviation, highlighting both the A320’s ubiquity and the intricate web of maintenance, scheduling, and safety protocols required to keep modern air travel running smoothly. - November 29, 2025