One of the largest recalls in Airbus’ history led to widespread flight disruptions across several continents, but major airlines are now restoring operations.

American Airlines announced on Saturday that all of its aircraft affected by the recent Airbus A320-series software recall have successfully received the necessary updates and are cleared to resume flights.

“As of 12 p.m. CT, no aircraft were left to be updated of the 209 impacted,” the airline said in a statement. “American expects no further operational impact related to the Emergency Airworthiness Directive and looks forward to the remaining days of the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, especially Sunday, our most-traveled day.”

Global Disruption After Airbus Orders Immediate Fix

The recall, triggered by concerns linked to solar flares, required urgent software patches for nearly 6,000 A320-series aircraft — over half of Airbus’ global narrow-body fleet. The rapid directive created major disruptions during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

Impact on Major Airlines:

• United Airlines reported six aircraft affected, expecting only minor disruptions.
• Delta Air Lines said fewer than 50 aircraft needed updates.
• Japan’s ANA Holdings canceled 95 domestic flights, impacting about 13,200 passengers.
• Air India completed over 40% of fixes with no cancellations, though delays occurred.
• Singapore Airlines’ Scoot had 21 of 29 A320s requiring updates.
• Jetstar Airways (Australia) canceled around 90 flights, with 20 of 34 aircraft back in service by Saturday.
• Virgin Australia reported no impact.
• Japan Airlines, heavily reliant on Boeing jets, was mostly unaffected.

Regulators Issued Emergency Directives

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) revealed the recall followed a JetBlue flight incident on October 30, in which the aircraft experienced an “uncommanded and limited pitch down event.”

Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued its own emergency order requiring immediate software corrections.

Airbus Responds

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury acknowledged the challenges in a LinkedIn post, noting severe logistical constraints and delays as airlines rushed to comply.

“Our teams are working around the clock to support our operators and ensure these updates are deployed as swiftly as possible to get planes back in the sky,” Faury wrote.

Industry Returning to Stability

With major carriers — including American Airlines — completing their updates, airlines expect operations to return to normal by Sunday, easing pressure on global travel networks strained by the unexpected recall.