Air travel disrupts as thousands of Airbus planes require software update globally

Airbus on Friday issued a global technical advisory to take immediate precautionary action after identifying a software flaw affecting thousands of flights operated by A320 and A321 aircraft, international media reported.

Airbus urged the airlines to undergo an urgent software upgrade.

Three Philippine carriers cancelled at least 82 flights on Saturday, reported Xinhua, quoting Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez.

At a news conference, Lopez said the Philippines immediately grounded affected aircraft operated by Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and AirAsia upon receiving Airbus' notice at around 1 a.m. local time.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said 93 planes have been affected as of noon Saturday, including the delay of six international and five domestic flights.

"The decision to ground the planes was a precautionary measure," Lopez said, adding that once the software update is completed, CAAP can clear the aircraft for deployment.

Lopez said several aircraft had already completed the update as of noon Saturday, and authorities expect all affected units to finish the upgrade by Sunday.

Airbus earlier discovered that intense solar radiation could interfere with onboard flight control computers.

The issue is believed to affect around 6,000 A320-family aircraft worldwide. Most planes are expected to resume operations after the quick software fix.

The European manufacturer identified the problem following an investigation into an incident in which an aircraft flying between the United States and Mexico suddenly lost altitude in October.

Lopez assured passengers that safety remains the government's top priority, noting that measures were taken while airlines work to restore normal operations.

Meanwhile, Air New Zealand has cancelled 12 flights after announcing that 37 of its aircraft are affected by a required Airbus software update, Radio New Zealand reported on Saturday.

Nathan McGraw, Air New Zealand's chief safety and risk officer, told local media that the software update issue affects 37 Airbus aircraft operating both domestic and international routes, according to the report.

McGraw estimated that the update across the fleet will take two to three days, it said.

New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority said in its statement that the authority is aware of the Airbus A320 situation and is working closely with Air New Zealand and other relevant agencies in response to an emergency airworthiness directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, requiring A320s to have a software update.