In response to a notification from Airbus on November 28, 2025, requesting preventive software updates for the A320 family aircraft, the Civil Aviation Authority (AACM) immediately instructed Air Macau to assess and rectify the issue, according to a statement from the authority.
Following this request, the flag carrier of the Chinese semi-autonomous region acted promptly, updating the necessary software on the affected aircraft and making the necessary adjustments to reprogram affected flights, minimizing inconvenience to passengers, the note continued.
AACM will continue to monitor the situation to ensure the operational safety of air services.
Twelve Air Macau aircraft were affected, leading to expected minor flight delays, as reported by Macau’s Chinese broadcasting station.
On Friday, Airbus announced the recall of approximately 6,000 A320 aircraft for the urgent replacement of flight control software, vulnerable to solar radiation, following an incident at the end of October in the United States.
In a statement, the aerospace manufacturer informed that it had requested all airline customers using this software to immediately suspend flights following the analysis of the technical incident.
The company acknowledged that these recommendations would cause operational disruptions for passengers and customers.
“We apologize for the inconvenience caused and will work closely with operators, keeping safety as our highest and primary priority,” it added.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) indicated in a statement that it was informed of the situation by Airbus.
“These measures may cause short-term disruptions to flight schedules and, consequently, inconvenience to passengers. However, as always in aviation, safety is paramount,” the EASA stated.
The incident occurred on October 30, during a JetBlue flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, near New York, when an aircraft had to make an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida.
The incident analysis revealed that intense solar radiation could corrupt vital data for the operation of flight controls, as reported by the European company.
For most aircraft, updating the software from the previous version will take “a few hours.”
However, for about a thousand aircraft, it will involve replacing the computer hardware, “which will take weeks,” as revealed by a source involved with the process to the AFP news agency.
The incident involves a device – ELAC – Elevator Aileron Computer – manufactured by Thales.
This Airbus supplier clarified to AFP that it was not responsible for the issue: “The functionality in question is supported by software that is not the responsibility of Thales,” it assured.
Airbus did not specify which company designed and updates this software.
Iberia, part of the IAG group, confirmed today that it is working to make the necessary changes to its A320 aircraft safely and ensured that Saturday’s operations would not be affected by this situation, as reported by Efe.
The Colombian airline Avianca estimated that 70% of its fleet would be affected and foresees “significant interruptions over the next ten days,” explaining in a statement that ticket sales are suspended until December 8.
The Airbus A320, which entered service in 1988, is the best-selling aircraft in the world. In September, Airbus overtook the Boeing 737, from the American manufacturer Boeing, whose first unit was delivered in 1968.
By the end of September, Airbus had delivered 12,257 A320 aircraft (including executive class versions) compared to 12,254 Boeing 737s.
