Why Are Thousands of Airbus A320s Being Grounded Globally?
Several local flights have been canceled.
Published on Nov 29, 2025
Airbus, a European aircraft manufacturing commercial company, announced on Friday night, November 28 (Saturday morning, November 29 in the Philippines), that an "analysis of a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls."
"Airbus has worked proactively with the aviation authorities to request immediate precautionary action from operators via an Alert Operators Transmission (AOT) in order to implement the available software and/or hardware protection, and ensure the fleet is safe to fly. This AOT will be reflected in an Emergency Airworthiness Directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)," Airbus' official statement added.
While the aforementioned "recent event" was not specified by Airbus, the advisory came about a month after a JetBlue flight (Airbus A320) from Cancun, Mexico, made an emergency landing in Florida after a sudden drop in altitude. The October 30 flight, which was diverted to Tampa International Airport, was traveling to Newark, New Jersey. This prompted a Federal Aviation Administration investigation.
According to Reuters, about 3,000 A320-family jets were already up in the air at the time of the announcement. The company also reportedly ordered the immediate repair of around 6,000 A320s, affecting half of the global fleet of the narrow-body jet airliner from Airbus.
This appears to be among the largest recalls affecting Airbus since it was founded in 1970, and since the Airbus A320 family was launched in 1984.
Following the announcement, New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. issued a passenger advisory. "Some airlines operating at NAIA are currently doing mandatory safety checks on their Airbus A320 aircraft. While these inspections are in progress, certain flights may operate with revised schedules, experience delays, or use different aircraft types," the statement on Flight Changes Due to Airbus A320 Safety Directive said.
The statement added:
NAIA operations continue as normal, but passengers may notice adjustments made directly by their respective airlines.
To avoid inconvenience, travellers are advised to:
Confirm their flight status through their airline before travelling to NAIA
Monitor official airline announcements via SMS, email, mobile app, or website
Follow airline guidance on any rebooking or travel arrangements
Avoid going to the airport if the airline has already confirmed that the flight is cancelled
Plan extra time for travel, particularly during busy periods
These checks are part of global aviation safety requirements. Airlines will continue providing updates as new information becomes available.
Airbus 320 in Philippine Aviation
The Airbus A320 is a family of narrow‑body, twin‑engine commercial jet airliners made by Airbus for short‑ to medium‑haul routes. As a single‑aisle passenger airliner, it seats about 140–170 passengers in a two‑class layout. The A320 is the baseline model, with the A318, A319, A320, and A321 being part of the fleet. The A320neo family, a new engine option, is a derivation of this model, but with improved fuel efficiency.
The A320 aircraft program was launched in March 1984, first flew on February 22, 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France. It is now one of the world’s best‑selling and most widely operated airliners.
Locally, the Airbus A320 was first used by Philippine Airlines (PAL), which introduced the Airbus A320-200 in 1995. The fleet was later transferred to PAL Express in 2019. PAL Express also operates the Airbus A321-200, which is part of the A320 Family.
Cebu Pacific's first-ever Airbus aircraft, an A320-200, was delivered in 2005. The airline received its first Airbus A320 painted in the new livery in January 2016 following a rebranding with a new logo. At present, Cebu Pacific has 15 Airbus A320-200 in service, 23 Airbus A320neo, seven Airbus A321-200, 19 and 19 Airbus A321neo.
Canceled Local Flights Due to Airbus Advisory
Affected Philippine Airlines flights as of November 29, 1:30 p.m.:
PR 1781/1782 Manila-Puerto Princesa-Manila
PR 1845 Manila-Cebu
PR 1880 Cebu-Manila
PR1801/1802 Manila-Davao-Manila
PR 2981/2982 Manila-Tacloban-Manila
PR 2035/2036 Manila-Caticlan-Manila
PR 2141/2142 Manila-Iloilo-Manila
PR 2773/2774 Manila-Tagbilaran-Manila
PR 2133/2134 Manila-Bacolod-Manila
PR 2953/2954 Manila-Zamboanga-Manila
PR 2919/2920 Manila-Legazpi (Daraga)-Manila
PR 434 Cebu-Narita
PAL passengers with upcoming flights are requested to monitor their e-mail and registered mobile number for advisories. Flight status can also be checked through the PAL website and Facebook page.
Affected Cebu Pacific flights as of November 29, 8 a.m.:
5J 899/900 – Manila – Caticlan – Manila
5J 2511/2502: Manila – Cebu – Manila
5J 261/262: Iloilo – Puerto Princesa – Iloilo
5J 4761/4760: Puerto Princesa – Davao – Puerto Princesa
5J 4736/4737: Davao – Caticlan – Davao
5J 4768/4769: Davao – Tacloban – Davao
5J451/452: Manila – Iloilo – Manila
5J 633/634: Manila – Puerto Princesa – Manila
5J 619/620: Manila – Bohol – Manila
5J 623/624: Manila – Dumaguete – Manila
5J 659/660: Manila – Tacloban – Manila
5J 703/704: Manila – Dipolog – Manila
5J 373/374: Manila – Roxas – Manila
5J 599/600: Cebu – Davao – Cebu
5J 997/998: Manila – General Santos – Manila
5J 965/966: Manila – Davao – Manila
5J 321/322: Manila – Legazpi – Manila
5J 3093/3094: Manila – Butuan – Manila
5J 395/396: Manila – Cagayan De Oro – Manila
5J 597/598: Cebu – Davao – Cebu
5J 993/994: Manila – General Santos – Manila
5J 977/978: Manila – Davao – Manila
5J 473/474: Manila – Bacolod – Manila
5J 504/505: Manila – Tuguegarao – Manila
5J 771/772: Manila – Pagadian – Manila
5J 643/644: Manila – Puerto Princesa – Manila
5J 847/848: Manila – Zamboanga – Manila
5J 383/384: Manila – Cagayan De Oro – Manila
5J 463/464: Manila – Iloilo – Manila
5J 785/786: Manila – Butuan – Manila
5J 915/916: Clark – Caticlan – Clark
Affected passengers of cancelations have been informed via email and provided with the options of free rebooking, travel fund, or full refund through the Manage Booking portal on the Cebu Pacific website. CEB is also offering flexible options, which include free rebooking and travel fund, to passengers who wish to postpone their domestic and international flights scheduled from November 29 to December 1, 2025.
Affected AirAsia flights as of November 29, 11:50 a.m.:
Z2 188
MNL → KIX
Original: 8:30 → 12:15
New: 13:00 → 16:45
Status: Delayed
Z2 189
KIX → MNL
Original: 13:15 → 17:45
New: 17:30 → 22:00
Status: Delayed
Z2 285
MNL → DMK
Original: 9:00 → 12:40
New: 9:45 → 13:25
Status: Delayed
Z2 286
DMK → MNL
Original: 13:10 → 16:45
New: 14:15 → 17:50
Status: Delayed
Z2 7710
CEB → MFM
Original: 5:50 → 8:40
New: 8:30 → 11:20
Status: Delayed
Z2 7711
MFM → CEB
Original: 9:10 → 12:00
New: 11:45 → 14:35
Status: Delayed
Z2 764
CEB → MNL
Original: 8:00 → 9:25
New: 10:30 → 11:55
Status: Delayed
Z2 782
CEB → MNL
Original: 10:35 → 12:00
New: 11:35 → 12:59
Status: Delayed
Z2 783
MNL → CEB
Original: 12:20 → 13:50
New: 13:30 → 15:00
Status: Delayed
Z2 521
CEB → DVO
Original: 13:10 → 14:15
New: 15:30 → 16:35
Status: Delayed
Z2 522
DVO → CEB
Original: 14:40 → 15:45
New: 17:00 → 18:05
Status: Delayed
As this is a developing situation, guests traveling on 29 November 2025 are directly notified via email and SMS of the flight schedule adjustments and are advised to stay updated via the MOVE app (airasia.com/flightstatus), the AskBo chatbot, and their registered email for the latest information.
Updates on the Airbus 320 Advisory
Philippine Airlines, on November 29, 7:45 p.m., confirmed full compliance with Airbus and EASA software update directive:
"Philippine Airlines (PAL) confirms that all PAL aircraft scheduled to operate commercial flights and covered by the recent Airbus and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) directive on the mandatory Elevator and Aileron Computer (ELAC) software update have successfully completed the required upgrade.
Our technical and engineering teams worked swiftly and meticulously to ensure full compliance within the prescribed timeframe, prioritizing the highest standards of safety and reliability.
With the update completed, we are now working to normalize flight schedules at the soonest possible time. We continue to coordinate closely with aviation authorities and airport partners to minimize any remaining operational impact."
Cebu Pacific, on November 30, 10:30 a.m., announced restoration to normal operations following the Airbus software update:
"Cebu Pacific is pleased to inform its passengers that it has successfully completed the mandatory software update across the affected Airbus A320/A321 aircraft, and normal operations have been restored.
We extend our sincere thanks to our passengers for their patience and understanding throughout this disruption. We are also grateful to our airport authorities and government partners for their swift and vital support, which enabled the quick recovery of our airport operations and flight services. We likewise recognize and thank our dedicated Cebu Pacific teams who worked tirelessly to ensure a safe and efficient restoration of our services.
CEB continues to offer flexible options, including free rebooking and conversion to Travel Fund, for those who wish to postpone their domestic or international flights scheduled from November 30 to December 1, 2025. These options may be accessed through the Manage Booking portal on the CEB website up to two (2) hours before the scheduled departure time."
Christa I. De La Cruz is a Palanca Award-winning writer with over 15 years of experience in feature writing for print and digital media. She earned her Sertipiko sa Malikhaing Pagsulat sa Filipino from the University of the Philippines Diliman and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from De La Salle University.
View More Articles About: