Global airlines scrambled to fix a newly identified software glitch flagged by Airbus in its A320 family of aircraft, and although many carriers rushed to apply the update overnight, the issue still triggered widespread disruption to flight operations around the world.
Aerospace supply chain challenges are delaying aircraft production, leading airlines to extend older fleets. The global backlog exceeded 17,000 aircraft in 2024, costing the industry over $11 billion in 2025 due to slow production, according to International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Oliver Wyman joint study.
Middle Eastern airlines’ passenger demand rose 9.6% year-on-year in November 2025, with capacity up 9.2% and a load factor of 81.4% (+0.3 ppt). Globally, passenger demand grew 5.7% versus November 2024, per IATA data.
