Outlook Business Desk
Airlines across India, the United States and many other countries started reporting delays after Airbus advised that nearly 6,000 active A320 aircraft might require software rollback before they can fly again.
Around 200–250 aircraft in India may be affected, PTI reported, as airlines must complete the required software rollback before flying, which could cause delays or cancellations.
Air India said the directive requires software or hardware realignment for part of its A320 fleet, increasing turnaround times and potentially causing delays as it carries out the required work.
IndiGo said it is carrying out the required software rollbacks across its A320-family fleet. The airline expects a few flights to see slight schedule changes while these precautionary updates are completed.
American Airlines, the world’s largest operator of A320 aircraft, said nearly 340 out of its 480 planes require the update. The carrier expects to complete most of the fixes by saturday, with each aircraft taking around two hours for the process.
Lufthansa expects only a small number of cancellations or delays, as the required work will take several hours per aircraft. British Airways and Air France also reported effects, with Air France cancelling 35 flights on Friday.
Avianca said more than 70% of its fleet is affected, prompting significant disruptions and a temporary halt on ticket sales until 8 December. Volaris and Viva also expect delays and cancellations.
LATAM reported that only its affiliates in Colombia, Chile and Peru are affected, while flights in Brazil and Ecuador remain unaffected. Air New Zealand anticipates weekend cancellations as it carries out updates on its A320neo jets.
A few airlines also reported minimal disruption. Turkish Airlines said only eight aircraft require updates, while easyJet, United Airlines and Azul confirmed their operations continue largely without impact.