Marketdash
Back to News

Airbus Software Recall Won't Disrupt Travel Plans, Says Transportation Secretary Duffy

MarketDash Editorial Team
7 days ago
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the Airbus A320 software recall affecting thousands of aircraft should cause minimal flight disruptions, with airlines making strong progress ahead of the Sunday deadline.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants you to know that your Memorial Day travel plans are probably safe. The Airbus SE (EADSY) software recall affecting thousands of A320 aircraft won't cause major headaches for travelers, he says, and airlines are making solid progress fixing the issue.

Close Contact with Airbus

Taking to X on Sunday, Duffy reassured travelers that he was "in close contact with Airbus about their software update recall for the A320," along with the airlines dealing with the situation. The good news? Only a small percentage of aircraft flying in the U.S. actually need the software patch.

Even better, affected carriers have reported "great progress" and were on track to resolve everything by the Sunday midnight deadline. "Travelers SHOULD NOT expect any major disruptions. Be on the lookout for communication from your airlines," Duffy wrote in his post.

When Solar Radiation Becomes a Problem

So what's this all about? The FAA discovered that intense solar radiation could potentially corrupt data critical to flight control systems. Not exactly the kind of software bug you want to ignore. Airbus (EADSF) acknowledged that over 6,000 aircraft from the A320 family were affected by the vulnerability.

American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL), which operates the world's largest fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft, initially said 340 planes needed updates. That number was later revised down to 209 aircraft, all of which have been fixed. American currently operates approximately 485 Airbus aircraft in total.

United Airlines Holdings Inc. (UAL) had it easier, with just 6 affected aircraft and potential minor delays to flight operations, according to a CNBC report from Friday. Delta Airlines Inc. (DAL) fell somewhere in the middle, with approximately 50 of its Airbus A320 aircraft requiring the software fix.

Duffy's Dress Code Comments Draw Fire

While Duffy was busy reassuring travelers about software updates, he's been catching heat for different comments entirely. His suggestion that people should "dress up for flights" has drawn sharp criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who slammed Duffy for eliminating "fines for airlines" that delay or cancel flights.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) also took aim at the transportation secretary, criticizing him for urging travelers to "dress for success" even as President Donald Trump had "ripped away rules to make airlines" compensate passengers for flight disruptions.

Back to News

Airbus Software Recall Won't Disrupt Travel Plans, Says Transportation Secretary Duffy

MarketDash Editorial Team
7 days ago
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the Airbus A320 software recall affecting thousands of aircraft should cause minimal flight disruptions, with airlines making strong progress ahead of the Sunday deadline.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants you to know that your Memorial Day travel plans are probably safe. The Airbus SE (EADSY) software recall affecting thousands of A320 aircraft won't cause major headaches for travelers, he says, and airlines are making solid progress fixing the issue.

Close Contact with Airbus

Taking to X on Sunday, Duffy reassured travelers that he was "in close contact with Airbus about their software update recall for the A320," along with the airlines dealing with the situation. The good news? Only a small percentage of aircraft flying in the U.S. actually need the software patch.

Even better, affected carriers have reported "great progress" and were on track to resolve everything by the Sunday midnight deadline. "Travelers SHOULD NOT expect any major disruptions. Be on the lookout for communication from your airlines," Duffy wrote in his post.

When Solar Radiation Becomes a Problem

So what's this all about? The FAA discovered that intense solar radiation could potentially corrupt data critical to flight control systems. Not exactly the kind of software bug you want to ignore. Airbus (EADSF) acknowledged that over 6,000 aircraft from the A320 family were affected by the vulnerability.

American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL), which operates the world's largest fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft, initially said 340 planes needed updates. That number was later revised down to 209 aircraft, all of which have been fixed. American currently operates approximately 485 Airbus aircraft in total.

United Airlines Holdings Inc. (UAL) had it easier, with just 6 affected aircraft and potential minor delays to flight operations, according to a CNBC report from Friday. Delta Airlines Inc. (DAL) fell somewhere in the middle, with approximately 50 of its Airbus A320 aircraft requiring the software fix.

Duffy's Dress Code Comments Draw Fire

While Duffy was busy reassuring travelers about software updates, he's been catching heat for different comments entirely. His suggestion that people should "dress up for flights" has drawn sharp criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who slammed Duffy for eliminating "fines for airlines" that delay or cancel flights.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) also took aim at the transportation secretary, criticizing him for urging travelers to "dress for success" even as President Donald Trump had "ripped away rules to make airlines" compensate passengers for flight disruptions.

    Airbus Software Recall Won't Disrupt Travel Plans, Says Transportation Secretary Duffy - MarketDash News