DOTr: Airbus fleet operations now back to normal

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced that operations of affected Airbus flights are now back to normal following a global software upgrade on Saturday morning.

In a statement, DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said airline companies acted quickly to assist over 15,000 passengers affected on Philippine-flagged carriers. Options for rebooking, full refunds, and flight e-vouchers were immediately made available following the upgrade, he said.

“Ang bilin sa atin ng Pangulo dapat matiyak na ligtas ang ating mga pasahero at mabigyan sila ng mga kailangan gaya ng makakain at maiinom habang naghihintay ng flights. Kaya nagpapasalamat tayo sa mga airlines dahil nagtulong-tulong sila para sa mga apektadong pasahero,” he said.

(The President's orders were to ensure our passengers are safe and have what they need, like food and drinks, while waiting for their flights. This is why we are thankful to the airlines, as they all worked together for the affected passengers.)

The global system upgrade for Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft affected around 15,000 passengers in the Philippines, disrupting 93 local flights.

Europe-based Airbus announced Friday that it was ordering immediate repairs to 6,000 of its widely used A320 family aircraft in a sweeping recall affecting more than half the global fleet, threatening major disruptions during the busiest travel weekend of the year in the United States and worldwide.—MCG, GMA Integrated News