More than 70 domestic flights in the Philippines were canceled or delayed on November 29, 2025, as airlines grounded Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft for a mandatory software update. The update addresses a potential data corruption issue from solar radiation affecting flight controls, following a European Union Aviation Safety Agency directive. Local carriers Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and AirAsia Philippines scrambled to comply, impacting thousands of passengers.
On November 29, 2025, Philippine airlines faced widespread disruptions from a global Airbus recall affecting 6,000 A320 family jets, more than half of the model's worldwide fleet. The recall, issued by Airbus and enforced by regulators like the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), requires a software update to prevent data corruption in flight controls caused by intense solar radiation. This issue came to light after a JetBlue A320 flight from Cancun to Newark experienced a sudden nosedive on October 30, injuring passengers and prompting the precautionary measure.
In the Philippines, acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez reported that 75 aircraft from Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific, and AirAsia Philippines were affected, leading to the grounding of up to 78 domestic flights. Cebu Pacific, operating 66 such jets, had 22 still undergoing updates by morning, while PAL, with 45 aircraft, awaited fixes on 11 more. AirAsia completed upgrades promptly but delayed 11 flights, affecting over 1,000 passengers. Each update takes about two hours, as noted by Air Carriers Association executive director Jose Enrique Perez de Tagle.
Canceled flights included numerous routes from Manila to destinations like Puerto Princesa, Cebu, Davao, Tacloban, Caticlan, Iloilo, Tagbilaran, Bacolod, Zamboanga, Legazpi, and others operated by PAL and Cebu Pacific. AirAsia delays hit routes such as Manila to Osaka, Bangkok, Cebu, and Davao. Lopez emphasized passenger safety as paramount, with the advisory received at 1 a.m. that day. Airlines offered free rebooking and waivers, while the Department of Transportation ensured stranded passengers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport received food and drinks.
Globally, the fix involves reverting to earlier software, simple for most planes but taking weeks for about 1,000. EASA stated that 'safety is paramount,' acknowledging short-term inconveniences. Airbus apologized for disruptions, notifying affected customers via SMS and email. In Asia, similar issues grounded flights in India, Japan, and elsewhere, underscoring the A320's role in short-haul aviation.
