Airbus A320 recall disrupts global travel after glitch linked to solar flares

Parts of the world's aerial question web were disrupted Friday aft Airbus ordered contiguous bundle fixes for 6,000 A320-series aircraft, a determination that affected much than fractional of the narrow-body fleet and forced airlines to crushed jets during 1 of the busiest question weekends of the year.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said successful a directive that a JetBlue formation connected Oct. 30 experienced an "uncommanded and constricted transportation down event."

The disruption rapidly spilled into U.S. vacation question and stretched to Australia. Airbus said it issued the bid aft "a caller lawsuit involving an A320 Family craft has revealed that aggravated star radiation whitethorn corrupt information captious to the functioning of formation controls."

Regulators warned that the contented could pb to "an uncommanded elevator movement" successful the worst-case scenario.

American Airlines, the world's largest A320 operator, told CNBC that the Airbus callback impacted 209 aircraft, down from the much than 340 initially identified.

"As of 6 p.m. CT, American has less than 150 craft remaining to update," American Airlines said.

"We expect the overwhelming bulk of those to beryllium completed contiguous and done the night, with lone a fistful remaining for completion tomorrow."

United Airlines said six craft successful its fleet were affected, and the bearer expected "minor disruption to a fewer flights."

Scoot, the fund limb of Singapore Airlines, said 21 of its 29 Airbus A320s were affected, and it aimed to implicit repairs by Saturday.

In Australia, Jetstar Airways canceled around 90 flights aft identifying craft that required the bundle correction. The fund hose and its genitor company, Qantas, which is Australia's nationalist emblem carrier, unneurotic clasp astir 65% of the home market, portion rival Virgin Australia has a 33% share.

Japan's ANA Holdings canceled 65 flights Saturday, Reuters reported. The carrier, on with affiliates specified arsenic Peach Aviation, operates the country's largest Airbus narrow-body fleet, portion rival Japan Airlines relies mostly connected Boeing aircraft.

The directive — among the largest successful the 55-year past of Airbus — deed particularly hard successful Asia, wherever the single-aisle A320 household anchors short-haul networks successful countries including Japan, China and India.