Airbus has resolved the software glitch that grounded thousands of its A320 family jets over the weekend, but shares fell on Monday after the company disclosed a separate quality problem with fuselage panels. The French plane manufacturer ordered immediate repairs on Friday after analysis revealed that intense solar radiation could corrupt flight control data, affecting about 6,000 aircraft—more than half of its global fleet.
By Monday, Airbus said the “vast majority” of fixes were complete, with fewer than 100 aircraft still requiring the software update. However, analysts at Deutsche Bank estimate that up to 15% of planes may need a hardware upgrade, which could take weeks due to limited supplies. The software fix involves installing an older version, taking two to three hours per aircraft.
The separate issue involves a “limited number” of A320 metal panels, according to a Reuters report. An Airbus spokesperson said the company is inspecting all potentially impacted aircraft and that the source has been identified and contained, with all new panels meeting requirements. Shares in Airbus fell by as much as 6% on Monday, though they remain up about 20% year-to-date.
The grounding coincided with the US Thanksgiving weekend, causing cancellations and delays for airlines including Delta, United, and American. UK transport secretary Heidi Alexander noted the impact on UK airlines was limited, praising swift action. London-listed easyJet and Wizz Air completed updates without cancelling flights. US carrier JetBlue expected to return 137 of 150 affected aircraft to service by Monday, cancelling about 20 flights.
Airbus apologised for any challenges caused. The recall is the largest in the company’s 55-year history, coming weeks after the A320 overtook the Boeing 737 as the most-delivered jet.
