Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has assured travelers that the Airbus SE (OTC:EADSY) (OTC:EADSF) software recalls would not cause travelers major delays or flight disruptions.
‘In Close Contact With Airbus,' Says Sean Duffy
Sharing the updates on the social media platform X on Sunday, Duffy reassured travelers that he was "in close contact with Airbus about their software update recall for the A320," as well as the airlines that were affected.
He added that "only a small percentage of flying aircraft" in the U.S. needed to implement the software patch to the fleet. Duffy then shared that affected carriers have reported "great progress" and were on track to fix the issues by the Sunday midnight deadline.
"Travelers SHOULD NOT expect any major disruptions. Be on the lookout for communication from your airlines," Duffy shared in the post.
Intense Solar Radiation
The issue with the aircraft stems from an investigation by the FAA, which stated that a bout of intense solar radiation could corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls. Airbus had shared that over 6,000 aircraft from the A320 family were affected by the issue.
American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL), which operates the largest fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft in the world, said that 340 aircraft from its fleet required the software updates, but later said that over 209 aircraft were affected and have been fixed. The company currently boasts approximately 485 Airbus aircraft in its fleet.
United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) shared that 6 aircraft were affected and flight operations could see a minor delay, according to a report by CNBC on Friday. Meanwhile, Delta Airlines Inc. (NYSE:DAL) shared that approximately 50 of its Airbus A320 aircraft were affected by the issue, the report suggests.
Sean Duffy's Dress Up For Flights Comment Draws Criticism
Duffy's comments about asking people to dress up for flights have drawn heavy criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who slammed Duffy for eliminating "fines for airlines" that delay or cancel flights.
The transportation secretary was also criticized by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) for urging travelers to "dress for success” as President Donald Trump had "ripped away rules to make airlines" compensate passengers for flight disruptions.
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