Airbus Reports Quick Progress on A320 Software Fixes After Global Recall Airbus announced Monday that the bulk of its A320-family aircraft affected by a recent safety alert have been updated, allowing most airlines to resume normal schedules after a whirlwind weekend of emergency modifications. The European manufacturer issued the directive last Friday following a mid-air incident on a JetBlue A320 potentially linked to a software vulnerability during solar flare activity. Global regulators quickly mandated the fix, affecting around 6,000 jets worldwide—roughly half the global A320 fleet. By early Monday, Airbus confirmed that over 99% of the planes, or more than 5,900 aircraft, had received the software reversion. Fewer than 100 remain pending, with the process involving a simple upload of an earlier version of the flight control software via a secure cockpit device to mitigate any risks. The rapid rollout averted widespread disruptions during the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday rush. Airlines from easyJet and Wizz Air in Europe to carriers in Asia and the Americas reported completing checks without major cancellations. JetBlue, at the center of the initial probe, said it had cleared 137 of its 150 impacted planes and anticipated only about 20 flight cancellations for the day. Some operators, like Colombia's Avianca, extended booking holds through December 8 for a small number of older jets requiring hardware upgrades rather than just a software reset. Initial estimates pegged those at up to 1,000 aircraft, but sources say the figure has since dropped significantly. The episode, described by industry insiders as Airbus's broadest safety recall to date, stemmed from incomplete real-time tracking of software versions across operators. Engineers addressed this by pinpointing affected serial numbers within hours, trimming the per-plane fix time from an estimated three hours to as little as 30 minutes in many cases. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury issued a public apology for any inconvenience, emphasizing the company's commitment to transparency in the wake of the Boeing 737 MAX scrutiny. "We acted swiftly to prioritize safety, and we're grateful for the collaboration from airlines and regulators," he stated. Shares in Airbus dipped 2.1% in early Paris trading amid the news, but analysts view the efficient response as a positive signal for the planemaker's reputation. With fleets largely back online, the focus now shifts to final tweaks and lessons for future software management in aviation.