Air travel across multiple continents is bracing for major disruption after Airbus ordered urgent safety checks on around 6,000 aircraft from its A320 family, a move affecting more than half of the world's active fleet and forcing airlines to ground planes, cancel services and warn passengers of potential delays at one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
The directive follows a serious in-flight incident in late October that triggered a fleet-wide investigation into flight-control software vulnerabilities. As airlines rush to comply with emergency instructions from Airbus and global aviation authorities, millions of travellers may experience flight disruptions while mandatory inspections and updates are carried out.
