Avianca, one of Latin America’s leading airlines, has temporarily grounded more than 70% of its A320 fleet due to a mandatory software update required for the aircraft’s operational programs. The decision has caused significant disruptions across multiple routes, affecting thousands of passengers in Colombia and the region.
According to the company, the grounding is a preventive and necessary measure to comply with updated safety protocols and ensure full reliability of its aircraft. Although the update was scheduled, the scale of the temporary immobilization has drawn public attention and raised concerns about the airline’s ability to maintain normal operations.
Why did Avianca ground such a large portion of its fleet?
The company explained that the update must be performed on each aircraft individually, which requires taking them out of service for several hours to complete the process.
Operations are expected to gradually normalize as each airplane finishes the update and reenters service, though passengers are advised to check their flight status and remain aware of possible changes. Avianca emphasized that passenger safety remains its top priority.
