A major global aviation alert has triggered significant travel chaos, with Jetstar confirming that several of its Airbus A320 aircraft are currently unable to depart due to a critical software issue affecting thousands of jets worldwide.
Airbus, one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers, issued an urgent notice on Friday advising airlines to take “immediate precautionary action” after identifying a potentially dangerous flaw in the flight control software used in approximately 6,000 operational A320-family aircraft.
The issue involves the Elevator and Aileron Computer (ELAC), produced by defence and aerospace giant Thales. According to Airbus, intense solar radiation can corrupt vital data controlling the aircraft’s stability, raising serious safety concerns.
While replacing the software will take only a few hours on most planes, Airbus revealed that around 1,000 aircraft may require weeks of work, heightening fears of prolonged travel disruption across the globe.
Jetstar hit hard in Australia
Jetstar, which operates 56 Airbus A320s, confirmed that its fleet has been directly affected.
“Due to an issue affecting Airbus A320 operators globally, some of Jetstar’s Airbus-operated flights are unable to depart at this stage,” a spokesperson said.
The airline has not yet confirmed how many aircraft are grounded, but acknowledged it is working urgently to assess the full impact on customers. “We apologise for the inconvenience caused,” the spokesperson added.
Passengers at airports around Australia have reported cancellations and lengthy queues, with some travellers being shifted onto Virgin Australia flights. One Adelaide passenger, TikTok user Elisha Faithh, said a Jetstar flight attendant told her that “all Jetstar Airbus flights are cancelled worldwide.”
Qantas, which operates different Airbus models, said its fleet is unaffected. Virgin Australia has been contacted for comment.
Incident triggered by JetBlue scare
The software problem came to light after a serious incident on October 30, when a JetBlue A320 suddenly nosedived mid-flight between Cancun and Newark due to a computer malfunction. The aircraft diverted to Tampa, where injured passengers were treated by emergency crews.
Massive global impact expected
With the A320 being the world’s best-selling commercial aircraft — more than 12,250 delivered since 1988 — the implications of the software fault are enormous. Airbus has apologised in advance for significant disruptions, acknowledging the operational impact on airlines and passengers.
More updates are expected as airlines work to determine the number of grounded aircraft and the timeframe for restoring normal operations.
