Thousands of travelers around the world have been left stranded after Airbus issued directives for immediate software fixes on 6000 of its A320 family aircraft. This step has impacted more than half of the narrow-body aircraft fleet. Airlines worldwide have been forced to cancel or delay thousands of flights, causing chaos at airports and passenger frustration. Engineers are working to resolve the issue, but a full return to normal operations may take several days. "We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this situation," Airbus stated. "Safety is our top priority." Analysts estimate the incident will cost airlines hundreds of millions of dollars.
