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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider Airbus recall forces Philippine carriers to pull A320s, warning flight disruptions

Airbus recall forces Philippine carriers to pull A320s, warning flight disruptions

Published Nov 29, 2025 07:04 am
Two of the country’s largest air carriers are scrambling to avert major travel disruption by pulling some of their Airbus SE narrow-body jets from service to perform an “urgent” software fix.
On Saturday, Nov. 29, Philippine Airlines (PAL) and budget carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) announced they are implementing immediate software changes on a portion of their A320/A321 fleet, warning passengers of potential flight schedule disruptions.
PAL and CEBU announcements followed a technical advisory from Airbus that flagged a global safety issue tied to solar radiation.

The manufacturer determined that intense solar radiation could corrupt data critical to the flight control systems.
PAL stated it has received a technical advisory from Airbus that will impact airlines worldwide operating certain models of the single-aisle jets.
“The technical advisory from Airbus requires an immediate software rollback,” PAL said in a travel advisory, noting that the time needed for the fix would “constrain [airlines] to implement adjustments to flight schedules.”
The carrier stressed it is “actively working to minimize the impact on your travel plans.”
Cebu Pacific, a heavy operator of the Airbus narrow-body aircraft, confirmed it is also working to complete a software upgrade on its fleet “as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
“Cebu Pacific (CEB) would like to inform its passengers that Airbus has issued a notice for A320/A321 aircraft, requiring airlines globally to perform a software upgrade,” the low-cost airline said in a statement released early Saturday.
CEB has deployed additional staff to assist passengers and offered flexible options, including free rebooking and Travel Fund conversion, for domestic and international flights scheduled between Nov. 29 and Dec. 1, 2025.
The technical order will affect a significant portion of the global A320 fleet, which includes some 6,000 aircraft worldwide. The required fix—a software update or, in some cases, a downgrade to a previous version—is expected to cause widespread operational turbulence as carriers around the globe scramble to ground and service the planes.
US carriers, including American Airlines, have also reported facing disruptions as they carry out the software fix.
American, which has a large A320-family fleet, expects most of its work to be completed over the weekend.
The issue came to light following the Oct. 30 incident involving a JetBlue flight from Cancun, Mexico, which was diverted to Tampa, Florida, after the plane suddenly lost altitude. At least 15 passengers were injured in the event.
Both Philippine carriers said that safety remains their highest priority. Passengers are urged to check the status of their flights before proceeding to the airport, a crucial step as schedule adjustments are likely to evolve over the weekend. (With reports from AP news)

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