Airbus A320 Recall: Saudi Arabia’s Airlines Rush to Minimize Potential Impact
Saudi Arabia’s air operators have taken immediate measures in response to Airbus’ recall of nearly half of its A320 fleet for immediate repair.
The Airbus emergency directive follows a JetBlue incident last month and is considered one of the largest recalls in the company’s history. Most recently, the A320 family has surpassed the Boeing 737 as the world’s most-delivered model.
Saudia Airlines
In the light of this, Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, announced it was reviewing the required updates to ensure the safety of its guests and crew.
“Based on the global safety directive issued by Airbus for A320 family aircraft worldwide, Saudia is reviewing the required updates and assessing any potential impact on flight schedules,” the airlines said in an official statement.
Official statement from #Saudia pic.twitter.com/wG6f0hWEkE
— Saudia (@SaudiAirlinesEn) November 28, 2025
It added that it would contact affected guests, urging them to ensure their contact details are updated and to monitor notifications.
“The safety of our guests and crew remains our highest priority,” Saudia’s statement stressed.
flyadeal
Saudia’s low-cost airline, flyadeal, made a similar announcement, warning of potential disruptions to some flights. “Following a directive by aircraft manufacturer Airbus affecting airlines worldwide which operate the A320 family aircraft, flyadeal flights are among those impacted,” it said in a statement.
“In line with our strict safety standards, we are taking the necessary steps and precautions and expect our entire flying program to be fully operational by Sunday, November 30, 2025,” flyadeal noted.
It added that some flights “may experience disruptions,” and affected passengers will be notified directly by email and SMS with rebooking and support options. “Our teams are working around the clock to minimize any disruption,” it said.
flynas
Similarly, flynas, the Kingdom’s budget airline, notified travelers of a “software and technical recalibration” of its fleet, which would lead to extended aircraft turnaround times and cause some delays to the operating schedule.
Important Notice🚨 pic.twitter.com/AYuNuo6mqS
— flynas طيران ناس (@flynas) November 28, 2025
The carrier also emphasized that these measures were part of its commitment to ensuring the highest standards of safety, adding it would contact affected guests via SMS or email, urging them to monitor their flight status through the website.
Airbus A320 Issue
Airbus announced on Friday a sweeping recall of 6,000 operational A320 aircraft – more than half its global fleet – for immediate repair, warning of potential travel disruptions worldwide.
The European plane-maker said the move was in response to a recent incident involving an A320-family aircraft last month, which revealed that “intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls.”
“Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in-service which may be impacted,” it said in a statement, recommending precautionary action from operators.
It also noted that these recommendations would “lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers.”
Worldwide Impact
The impact of the Airbus A320 issue extends to airlines across the US, India, Europe, South America and New Zealand, according to Sky News.
The most affected airline is American Airlines, the world’s largest A320 operator, with 340 of its 480 A320 aircraft requiring the fix.
The list of impacted airlines also includes British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Lufthansa, Wizz Air, EasyJet, Aer Lingus, Turkish Airlines, Avianca, Air India, IndiGo, Air New Zealand, United Airlines, and Azul Airlines.
