Over 15K passengers of 3 PH carriers affected by Airbus software update

More than 15,000 passengers of at least three air carriers in the Philippines were affected by the software update for the Airbus A320 family of jets, with nearly a hundred of their flights either canceled or delayed.

In a forum on Saturday, Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines canceled 78 domestic flights due to the software update of their A320 and A321 Airbus fleets.

"About 14,000 passengers total were affected by the cancellations that have been implemented by PAL and Cebu Pacific. We don't have final numbers. It's a running total of who are affected by the delays," Lopez said in a forum.

"But because of the mitigating measures, we hope that there will be no incremental increases to this and that we are able to contain the situation so far," Lopez added.

Budget carrier AirAsia likewise reported inconveniences for multiple passengers, despite the software update's relatively low impact on its fleet.

"We have only one aircraft affected. And that aircraft is already now flying and already compliant. And we have a total of 11 flights delayed and 1,545 passengers affected," said Gomer Monreal, AirAsia director of flight operations.

Cebu Pacific and PAL, for their part, said they have started rolling out the software updates.

Both companies expect their upgrade activities to be completed by Sunday, Andres Bonifacio Day, a national holiday in the Philippines.

"We have 28 aircraft that were affected, as mentioned by the Secretary. Eleven have already completed the software updates and we are working on the balance of the 17 aircraft," Philippine Airlines Vice President for Corporate Affairs Salvador Britanico said.

Britanico added, "We expect completion within the next 20 hours, so most likely by lunch tomorrow, that has been completed."

As for Cebu Pacific, the company's corporate affairs chief Michael Shau said, "At 10:30 a.m., we now only have 22 remaining aircraft that we need the software update and that we feel will be completed by Sunday."

"We again apologize for any inconveniences this has caused to the arriving public. We have canceled over 66 flights," Shau said.

Lopez appealed to the public for their consideration, saying the delays were of global occurrence and that updates were needed to ensure safety of passengers.

Europe's Airbus said Friday it was ordering immediate repairs to 6,000 of its widely used A320 family of aircraft in a sweeping recall affecting more than half the global fleet, threatening upheaval during the busiest travel weekend of the year in the United States and disruption worldwide.

Click here to read the list of canceled flights on Saturday, November 29, 2025, after Airbus issued a technical advisory for select A320 and A321 aircraft. — VDV, GMA Integrated News