BANGKOK – Airbus has ordered a worldwide precautionary action on thousands of Airbus A320 family aircraft, after a rare in-flight incident linked to solar radiation triggered concern over flight control data. The move affects airlines on almost every continent and comes at a tense moment for Thailand’s tourism-focused carriers, just as the country enters its peak travel season.
The Airbus A320, one of the most common single-aisle jets in operation, handles huge volumes of short and medium-haul flights for both low-cost and full-service airlines. More than 6,000 aircraft could fall under the new measures. The action centres on rolling back to earlier software versions or installing patches that reduce the chance of corrupted data.
Airbus says safety sits above everything else, yet the fixes may temporarily ground some aircraft. Passengers could face delays and cancellations just as global travel demand climbs again.
The Incident That Sparked the Global Airbus A320 Alert
The decision follows a frightening incident earlier in the month involving an Airbus A320-family aircraft. During the flight, pilots briefly lost partial control after key flight control computer data was corrupted. Investigators traced the likely cause to an episode of intense solar radiation, a rare but powerful environmental factor that can disturb avionics at cruising altitude.
The current active phase of the sun has brought more frequent solar flares and geomagnetic storms. These bursts can overload sensitive electronic systems, leading to false signals that affect how an aircraft behaves.
Aviation specialists point out that interference from space weather is not a new topic, and satellites and ground systems have faced similar risks for years. The surprise in this case comes from the way a particular software configuration on some Airbus A320 aircraft responded to that radiation.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is preparing an Emergency Airworthiness Directive that will make Airbus’s recommendations mandatory, reflecting an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT) already sent to airlines. The action does not count as a full mechanical recall. Around two-thirds of affected aircraft only need a software change, while the rest will need additional hardware shielding.
Industry figures see the event as a sharp reminder of how space weather can affect modern aviation systems.
“We have made aircraft tougher against lightning and turbulence, but solar radiation at cruise altitude still brings surprises,” said Dr Marcus Hale, an aerospace engineer at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
There were no injuries and the aircraft landed safely, but the incident was serious enough to put regulators and airlines on edge.
Airbus Explains the Problem and Its Response
In a statement from its Toulouse base on 28 November, Airbus outlined what happened and how it plans to respond. “Analysis of a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls,” the company said. “Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in service which may be impacted.”
The manufacturer highlighted its work with regulators and airlines.
Airbus has worked with the aviation authorities to request immediate precautionary action from operators via an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT) in order to implement the available software and/or hardware protection, and keep the fleet safe to fly. This AOT will be reflected in an Emergency Airworthiness Directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).”
The company also accepted that travellers and airlines would feel the effects.
“We acknowledge these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and will work closely with operators, while keeping safety as our number one and overriding priority.”
The statement did not give a clear end date for the work. However, industry sources say most modifications should be completed within a few days per aircraft, which would limit long groundings in many cases.
Airbus representatives, including Guillaume Steuer and Sara Ricci, have been answering questions and repeating that the fleet remains safe to operate once the measures are in place. They have stressed that the problem applies only to aircraft with certain avionics versions, not to every Airbus A320 ever built.
Global Airlines Feel the Strain
Major airlines across the world are now adjusting timetables and maintenance plans. In the United States, American Airlines expects around 340 aircraft to be affected, which may disrupt traffic as passengers head home after the Thanksgiving holiday period. European low-cost carriers such as easyJet and larger groups including Lufthansa are in a similar position, as are Asian airlines like Air India and China Southern.
Short-term groundings will likely cause delays, aircraft swaps, and some cancellations. Analysts say the total global cost could reach many millions of dollars when engineering work, schedule changes, crew costs, and lost ticket revenue are added together.
Airbus, however, plays down the prospect of chaos. The company notes that a large share of the work can be done during regular overnight stops or existing maintenance slots. Several US carriers have echoed this message, saying they expect a spike in disruptions but not a collapse in their schedules. Long-haul and complex international routes may still feel sharper impacts.
Impacts on Global Airlines
The recall has led to flight delays, cancellations, and reduced seat capacity at many airlines with large A320 fleets. Below is a summary of what major operators have reported so far:
| Airline | A320-Family Fleet Size | Affected Aircraft | Reported Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines (USA) | ~480 | ~340 | Operational delays expected; most updates finished by 29–30 November 2025; around 300 flights disrupted. |
| Delta Air Lines (USA) | ~400+ | <50 (small portion of A321neo) | Limited effect; updates fitted during planned maintenance, completed by the morning of 29 November. |
| Lufthansa (Germany) | ~200 | Unspecified | A small number of cancellations and delays over the weekend; 2–3 hours of work per aircraft. |
| IndiGo (India) | ~300 | Most (but not all) | Slight schedule changes; updates already underway, plus knock-on delays and cancellations across the network. |
| Avianca (Colombia) | ~140 | >100 (about 70% of fleet) | Major disruption for around 10 days; ticket sales are paused until 8 December 2025. |
| Air France-KLM (France/Netherlands) | ~200 | Unspecified | 35 flights were cancelled on 28 November. |
| easyJet (UK) | ~300 | Many (already in modification) | No large-scale disruption expected; work carried out overnight. |
| Air New Zealand | ~20 (A320neo) | All A320neo | Multiple cancellations; software to be updated before the next passenger service. |
| Flynas (Saudi Arabia) | ~50 | Part of the fleet | Schedule delays due to recalibration work. |
Airlines such as United Airlines, Azul (Brazil), and Air Canada report little or no impact, as their A320-family aircraft use unaffected software versions. Some Asian carriers, including IndiGo, are seeing mild schedule shifts, but delays from partner airlines and connecting flights may spread across their wider networks.
Effects on Thai Carriers
Thai Airlines, which depends heavily on A320-family jets for domestic and short-haul regional routes, is among the more than 350 operators touched by the recall. Thailand has several major users of the A320; however, the recall targets a specific software version in the ELAC system, not all A320s.
Some airlines (e.g., Brazil’s Azul) have confirmed zero affected aircraft due to prior updates or configurations. Thai carriers may fall into this category, or their fleets could already use the safer software version. No Thai-specific disruptions, cancellations, or statements have surfaced in real-time reporting as of November 29, 2025
Thai Airways International (THAI): Operates around 38 A320-family aircraft, mainly A320ceo models with some A321s. THAI also flies larger aircraft such as Boeing 777s and Airbus A350s for long-haul services, so the recall could possibly affect regional and medium-haul flights within Southeast Asia and to markets like India and China.
The work to roll back the software is expected to take 2 to 3 hours per aircraft, which could lead to minor delays on busy routes should the aircraft need a software update. There have been no reports of large-scale cancellations so far, but pressure on maintenance slots could extend some groundings.
Thai AirAsia (and AirAsia Group): The largest A320 operator in Thailand, with around 70 A320neo and A321neo aircraft as part of a regional fleet of more than 200 jets. Because low-cost airlines run tight schedules and rely almost entirely on A320-family aircraft, any disruption quickly affects their operations.
The recall could lead to fewer seats on popular budget routes such as Bangkok to Chiang Mai or Kuala Lumpur, along with delays or cancellations in peak periods. AirAsia hasn’t issued a detailed public statement yet, but other carriers with similar neo fleets, like Air New Zealand, have already warned of several cancellations.
Aircraft that need hardware changes as well as software fixes could be grounded for longer, which raises operating costs in an already competitive market.
Overall, Thai airlines are likely to see little to no impact compared with large American or European carriers, simply because they operate smaller fleets.
As of the 29th of November, there were no signs of widespread cancellations of Thai Carriers, but passengers should keep an eye on airline apps or websites for live updates. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) is working in line with EASA and FAA guidance and is placing safety first.
Airbus reports it is working closely with airlines to speed up the repairs, and aviation experts stress that the A320 family remains a very safe aircraft type despite this software issue. For the most recent information, travellers should check official airline announcements and regulatory bulletins from bodies such as EASA.
