MANILA — Air travel across Asia, including the Philippines, has been thrown into chaos as technical updates to Airbus aircraft trigger widespread delays and cancellations. Major carriers affected include AirAsia, Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific, and SpiceJet, disrupting flights across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, and key Philippine cities.
The disruption stems from a global safety advisory issued by Airbus over the weekend, requiring immediate software updates on certain A320 and A321 jets. The directive followed an incident involving sudden in‑flight loss of altitude on another airline’s aircraft, prompting precautionary action to ensure flight‑control systems remain reliable.
In the Philippines alone, PAL and Cebu Pacific canceled 78 domestic flights on November 29, affecting thousands of passengers. AirAsia also reported adjustments to its schedule, though only a limited number of aircraft were impacted. Across the region, a total of 901 delays and 25 cancellations were reported among affected airlines.
Passengers were advised to rebook, request refunds, or convert tickets to travel credits, while airlines worked around the clock to update their fleets. PAL confirmed that 11 of its 28 affected aircraft had completed software updates, with the remainder expected to finish within 20 hours. Cebu Pacific similarly said it was racing to complete updates on 22 aircraft.
Authorities and airlines emphasized that the updates are a precautionary measure prioritizing passenger safety over convenience. Travelers were urged to check flight status online, monitor communications from airlines, and avoid going to the airport unless their flight is confirmed.
Saturday’s disruptions serve as a reminder of how global technical issues can ripple across international flight networks, turning carefully planned trips into unexpected delays and rebookings.
