Airbus recalls 6,000 A320 aircraft due to software glitch that halts flights worldwide.

Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special

Airlines in Asia rushed on Saturday to address a software glitch in Airbus A320 aircraft, following a widespread global recall issued by the European manufacturer. This move came after the glitch disrupted travel in the United States during one of the busiest weekends of the year. The recall covers more than 6,000 aircraft, more than half of Airbus' global A320 fleet, which forms the backbone of short-haul flights in regions such as China and India. Aviation regulators around the world, including the European Aviation Safety Agency, followed suit and directed airlines to correct the affected software before resuming aircraft operations. This recall is one of the largest in Airbus' more than 55-year history, and comes shortly after the A320 surpassed the Boeing 737 as the most delivered aircraft worldwide. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has required airlines to replace or modify the software that controls the elevator and aileron systems on A319, A320, and A321 aircraft to ensure safety. India's aviation regulator said 338 Airbus aircraft in the country were affected by the glitch, but said the software reset would be completed by Sunday. The regulator said the country's largest airline, IndiGo, had completed the software reset on 160 of its 200 aircraft. ANA Holdings, Japan's largest airline, said it canceled 95 flights on Saturday, affecting 13,500 passengers. The company, along with subsidiaries such as Peach Aviation, is Japan's largest operator of Airbus A320 aircraft. Globally, there are approximately 11,300 single-aisle aircraft in service, including 6,440 of the base model A320. The fix essentially involves reverting to older computer software, and while relatively simple, it must be completed before the aircraft can fly again. Korean Air said it does not expect major disruptions to its flight schedule, as only 17 of its aircraft were affected by the recall. American Airlines, the world's largest operator of A320 aircraft, said 340 of its 480 aircraft need the fix and expects to complete most of them on Saturday.