Bogotá-based Avianca has announced the grounding of over 70% of its Airbus A320 fleet as the airline responds to an urgent safety directive from the European union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The directive, issued November 28, 2025, mandates immediate software updates across the A320 family of aircraft due to concerns that intense solar radiation could compromise flight control systems.Avianca has temporarily halted ticket sales through December 8th as it works to implement the required updates and mitigate potential disruptions for passengers.
Avianca has announced that over 70% of its Airbus A320 fleet will be grounded due to an urgent software update requested by Airbus, potentially disrupting operations for the next ten days. The Colombian airline has temporarily suspended ticket sales through December 8th to accommodate affected passengers.
According to a company statement, aircraft will be taken out of service upon arrival at maintenance bases to undergo the necessary work. “This order affects more than 70% of Avianca’s fleet,” the airline said.
What Prompted the Action?
The move follows a directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) calling for immediate action by all A320 operators to update aircraft software and ensure flight safety. The grounding highlights the critical importance of software integrity in modern aviation.
“Airbus has requested that all A320 operators take immediate precautionary measures to implement a software update that guarantees the safety of its fleet,” the agency stated.
The call for updates comes after a recent analysis revealed that intense solar radiation could potentially corrupt critical flight control data in A320 family aircraft.
“We recognize that these measures will cause operational disruptions for passengers and customers. We apologize for the inconvenience and will work closely with operators, keeping safety as our absolute and primary priority,” Airbus wrote in a statement.
As of November 28, 2025, Avianca is the only airline to publicly comment on the emergency directive issued by EASA, which estimates the impact will affect more than 8,000 aircraft of this type globally. The scale of the potential disruption underscores the widespread use of the A320 family in commercial aviation.
