JetBlue is continuing to recover from the grounding of a large portion of its A320-family fleet as it works through an Airbus-identified software issue affecting multiple operators worldwide. While progress has accelerated, the carrier said more than a dozen aircraft remained out of service as of Sunday afternoon.
Normal operations resumed on Monday evening, the carrier said.
“We’ve resumed regular operations after working through the requirements of the FAA airworthiness directive and do not anticipate any additional cancellations related to this. We’re grateful for the incredible efforts of our crewmembers who worked around the clock to move quickly to make these updates, and we appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding throughout the process,” a spokesperson shared in a statement.
In an internal memo to employees, Chief Operating Officer Warren Christie said that “as of 1230ET [Sunday], we still had about 50 of the 150 affected aircraft out of service.” Christie noted that the remaining out-of-service aircraft required the airline to increase cancellations to 160 flights for the day.
Christie said JetBlue’s system operations team is “working hard to stay ahead of needed cancellations so our crewmembers and customers receive as much notice as possible,” adding that the situation “remains fluid,” but improves “every time an aircraft is completed and returned to service.”
He told employees that the company will “never compromise when it comes to safety” and emphasized that “following the FAA’s directive precisely before returning any aircraft to service is our top focus.”
JetBlue expects the majority of affected aircraft to be restored in the near term. According to Christie, the airline anticipates having “approximately 137 of the 150 affected aircraft” completed and returned to service by Monday morning. The carrier also noted that 140 aircraft across its A320, A321, and A220 fleets were not impacted by the directive.
A JetBlue spokesperson said the airline is working with Airbus, the FAA, and its maintenance partners as updates continue. “Our teams are doing everything possible to minimize disruptions to crewmembers and customers,” the spokesperson said.
JetBlue currently expects to cancel approximately 20 flights on Monday, with additional cancellations possible as the remaining aircraft clear the software update.
Other U.S. Airlines Have Largely Completed the Work
Other U.S. operators of the A320-family have moved through the required updates more quickly. American Airlines said it completed work on nearly all of its roughly 340 affected aircraft over the weekend. Delta reported that all required updates on its A321neo fleet were completed with “no effect on operations.”
United said only six of its aircraft were impacted and expected limited disruptions. Allegiant and Frontier each reported that only a small number of their aircraft required updates and anticipated minimal operational impact.
The regulatory action followed a recent JetBlue A320 incident in which the aircraft experienced an unexpected loss of altitude while operating as Flight 1230 from Cancun to Newark, New Jersey, on Oct. 30.
A subsequent investigation identified a malfunction within a flight-control computer system, which regulators later determined could also affect other A320-family aircraft equipped with the same hardware. Airbus issued guidance to operators, and U.S. regulators followed with an emergency airworthiness directive.
“Out of a total number of around 6,000 aircraft potentially impacted, the vast majority have now received the necessary modifications,” Airbus said in a statement Monday morning. “We are working with our airline customers to support the modification of less than 100 remaining aircraft to ensure they can be returned to service.”
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, at 9:56 p.m. ET to add updated information from the airline.
