A software glitch in Airbus A320 jets triggered a partial recall, halting hundreds of flights across Asia, Europe, and threatening U.S. travel. Japan's All Nippon Airways canceled 95 domestic flights on Saturday, impacting about 13,200 passengers. Airlines worked overnight to fix the issue and avert wider disruptions during the year's busiest weekend.
On Saturday, November 29, 2025, Airbus issued a sweeping recall for about 6,000 A320 family aircraft due to a software glitch, sending Asian airlines scrambling to patch their fleets. The recall affects more than half of Airbus's global A320 fleet, the backbone of short-haul aviation in regions like China and India, where economic growth has boosted air travel. Regulators worldwide, following the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, directed carriers to remedy the issue before resuming flights.
Japan's largest carrier, All Nippon Airways (ANA Holdings), scrapped 95 domestic flights that day, affecting roughly 13,200 passengers, and warned of potential further disruptions on Sunday. By early Sunday, several airlines reported completing or nearly finishing fixes on their fleets, including American Airlines, Air India, Delta Air Lines, and Hungary's Wizz Air, with no operational impacts noted.
The overnight efforts helped cap flight delays in Asia and Europe, averting a worst-case scenario during the busiest travel weekend of the year. Airbus apologized for the recall. This incident highlights vulnerabilities in aviation's reliance on software amid peak holiday demand.