NZ flights grounded due to global issue with Airbus A320 planes

New Zealand travellers are experiencing major disruptions this morning after a global software issue forced airlines worldwide to halt flights operated by Airbus A320 aircraft.

The country's two major airlines, Air New Zealand and Jetstar, have grounded some planes while they work to resolve the issue.

In a statement, Airbus said analysis of a recent event involving the A320 family had revealed that "intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls".

The issue contributed to a sudden drop in altitude of a JetBlue plane last month.

"Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in service which may be impacted."

The manufacturer said it had worked "proactively" with 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".

"Airbus acknowledges these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and will work closely with operators, while keeping safety as our number one and overriding priority."

Air New Zealand chief safety and risk officer Nathan McGraw said 20 flights had been cancelled today and tomorrow due to the glitch.

The national carrier had 37 A320 aircraft in its fleet.

An update from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency advised that planes with the affected software could continue operating until 12.59pm on November 30, New Zealand time.

"This means that, where possible, we are able to operate A320 services today before commencing the required updates," McGraw said.

"Air New Zealand will begin rolling through the updates to its A320 fleet as quickly as possible to minimise ongoing disruptions."

In an update this evening, McGraw said the airline was "well under way with the required software updates across our A320 fleet".

"Thanks to the significant efforts of our engineering and operations teams, we expect all affected aircraft to be updated and returned to service by tomorrow evening.

"On the basis of this progress, we currently anticipate a total of around 20 cancellations across today and tomorrow."

The airline's schedule was expected to return to normal operations by Monday.

McGraw advised Air NZ customers travelling this weekend to continue to check the app or website for up to date information on their flight.

"To provide customers with additional flexibility, those travelling on an affected A320 route up to and including Tuesday 2 December may make one free change within seven days of their original travel date, hold the value of their fare in credit for twelve months, or request a refund, including for non-refundable fares."

He said passengers should know the software update was precautionary and did not present an immediate safety risk.

They could check the latest flight updates on the Air New Zealand app or website.

"We will provide updates on impacts to our schedule as soon as we have more information. We know unexpected changes are frustrating, and we are working hard to keep customers moving wherever possible."

Jetstar also confirmed a portion of its fleet was impacted by the software issue.

“Safety is our number one priority. To respond to a precautionary action from Airbus, we have cancelled some Jetstar Airways flights.

“Our teams are working on options to get customers on their way as quickly as possible and are contacting affected customers directly."

In an update this afternoon, the budget airline told 1News approximately 13 domestic flights had been cancelled. No trans-Tasman flights were cancelled.

Customers were thanked for their patience. Jetstar would continue to provide updates.

Auckland Airport was aware of the issue, a spokesperson said.

"This is impacting some flights, with delays and cancellations.

"We ask that travellers please check the status of their flight before coming to the airport and to please be patient while airport teams help get everyone where they need to be."

In a media standup at Melbourne Airport this afternoon, Jetstar's chief pilot Tyrone Simes told reporters 90 flights were grounded in Australia, impacting thousands of passengers.

Simes said 34 of its 85 aircraft were affected by the glitch, which was attributed to a combination of software.

"We're hoping to get it all done today and expecting the potential for some minor disruption tomorrow," he said.

Simes said it takes around two to three hours to update each plane's software and carry out control checks.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reassured passengers it was safe to fly and that this was a precautionary software update that did not present an immediate safety risk to flights.

"At the same time, we’ll monitor and manage any passenger queues at Aviation Security caused by flight disruptions," a spokesperson said.

"We encourage anyone flying over this weekend to stay up to date with their airline, arrive at the airport with plenty of time, and to be patient with airport and AvSec staff who are working hard to get you safely to your destination."