Leeds, (Zahid Anwar Mirza) — Airlines across the world cancelled large numbers of flights ahead of the weekend. According to an Associated Press report, the reason cited was an incident on 30 October when a JetBlue aircraft in the United States experienced a sudden decrease in speed during flight, causing it to descend unexpectedly.

The issue may be linked to a software problem in a widely used passenger aircraft model. Europe’s aviation manufacturer Airbus stated that intense solar radiation could affect critical data within A320 family aircraft’s flight control systems.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a directive to all airlines operating the A320, making it mandatory to implement a fix. The agency warned that this could cause temporary disruption to flight schedules.

Authorities said the problem emerged following a recent software update on the aircraft’s onboard computers. This update was released as passengers in the US began returning home after Thanksgiving — the country’s busiest travel period.

In Japan, All Nippon Airways, which operates more than thirty A320-series aircraft, cancelled 65 domestic flights on Saturday. American Airlines has nearly 480 A320 family planes, 209 of which are affected.

The airline said that the fix for most aircraft could be completed in approximately two hours. It warned of possible delays but added that cancellations would be kept to a minimum, emphasizing that passenger safety remains its top priority.

Delta Air Lines stated that fewer than 50 of its A321neo aircraft would be affected. United Airlines reported that six of its aircraft were impacted, with only minor delays expected, while Hawaiian Airlines said its flights would not be affected.

A German airline noted that some aircraft would require several hours of maintenance, potentially leading to cancellations or delays over the weekend. Colombia’s Avianca reported that more than 70 percent of its fleet was affected by the recall, causing significant operational disruption expected over the next 10 days.

The airline has suspended new ticket sales for travel until 8 December. British Airways confirmed that three of its A320 aircraft used for short-haul routes were affected, but it expected no operational impact.

Air France cancelled 35 flights following Airbus’s instructions. Air New Zealand reported that all of its A320neo aircraft would undergo a software update before their next flight, which would affect numerous services and force some cancellations.

Aviation expert Mike Stengel of Aerodynamic Advisory said the issue could be addressed between flights or during overnight routine checks.

A spokesperson for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) reassured that the national carrier’s Airbus aircraft were not at risk, as they still operate on the older version of the software.

The spokesperson said Airbus had released a new software patch, Version 104, which contained the issue. Airbus has instructed airlines to revert to the older version, but since none of PIA’s aircraft had this version installed, all its planes remain safe.