Overview
- Mexico’s Volaris and VivaAerobús are updating their A320 fleets with expected disruptions for 48–72 hours, and the AFAC is conducting technical verifications before full service resumes.
- The FAA issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive requiring operators to replace or modify the affected software by 00:01 on Sunday and barring reinstallation of the faulty version, while EASA allows passenger flights only after repair and permits ferry flights for maintenance.
- Airlines reported widespread operational impacts, with Air France canceling 35 flights, ANA scrubbing more than 60 services, London Gatwick flagging about 80 affected trips, and Avianca suspending ticket sales until December 8 as it works through major disruptions.
- In the United States, American Airlines counted roughly 209–340 affected jets and expects most updates to finish by Saturday, as Delta forecasts limited impact and United and JetBlue prepare for delays during a peak travel weekend.
- The affected unit is the ELAC flight‑control computer, and the directive follows an October 30 JetBlue A320 incident involving a sudden altitude loss and an emergency landing in Tampa, for which Airbus apologized as it coordinated fixes with regulators and carriers.