SYDNEY, Australia — Major domestic airports across Australia faced significant operational disruption on Saturday after plane manufacturer Airbus issued an urgent, worldwide software update for its popular A320 aircraft family.
The recall was prompted by an anomaly found in a flight control computer following a recent software upgrade. The issue immediately impacted the operations of Jetstar Airways, which was forced to ground part of its fleet to implement the fix. The budget carrier cancelled or delayed approximately 90 flights as it rushed to roll out updates to 34 of its A320 planes.
The widespread delays affected key domestic hubs, including Sydney, Melbourne (Tullamarine and Avalon), Adelaide, Perth, and Hobart, causing congestion and inconvenience for travelers ahead of the busy “schoolies week” celebrations.
Jetstar chief pilot Tyrone Simes confirmed the cause, explaining that the flight control computer on board the affected planes had “shown an anomaly” resulting directly from a new software upgrade. Simes praised the rapid response to the issue, noting that “the authorities in Europe and the manufacturer have done a great job in identifying this issue very promptly.”
While the disruption centered on the A320 model, Qantas confirmed that its new Airbus A321xlr planes were unaffected by the recall.
Airport authorities urged all travelers to check their flight status with their airline before heading to the airport. In Melbourne, Chief of Aviation Jim Parashos assured the public that engineers were quickly working to resolve the issue. “We have engineers taking a look at the aircraft on the ground, and we will get them on their way as soon as we can,” Parashos said.
The technical setback was compounded by a separate incident—an overnight fire at a terminal at Melbourne Airport—adding to the difficulties facing ground staff and passengers throughout the morning. (Xinhua)