Due to an urgent software update on Airbus aircraft, Air France canceled 35 flights, and Japanese airlines canceled at least 95 flights. Air Astana will cancel or delay 14 flights, Kazinform reports.
A spokesman for the French carrier said the company would announce the exact number of canceled flights by Saturday evening and publish an updated schedule that evening.
French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarod warned of possible disruptions to the schedules of all airlines, including Air France, and advised passengers to check flight statuses in advance.
According to Reuters, Japan's largest airline, All Nippon Airways, canceled 95 flights on Saturday, affecting 13,500 passengers. ANA and its subsidiary Peach Aviation operate the largest number of A320 aircraft in Japan.
In South Korea, Asiana Airlines said it did not expect major disruptions to its schedules, as the update affected only 17 of its planes. Korean Air said it was working to return 10 planes to service. South Korea's transport ministry expects the updates for 42 planes to be completed by Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, several airlines said there were no major disruptions. Low-cost carrier Wizz Air said the update had affected some of its planes, with maintenance already scheduled, but some weekend flights could be affected.
British Airways said the requirement affected three of its A320s on short routes and would not affect its schedule. Turkish Airlines said it was operating flights as usual, with no changes to its schedule.
Airbus has issued an airworthiness directive requiring airlines to immediately update the operating software for the elevator control computer on Airbus family aircraft before their next flight.
Astana International Airport resumed normal operations on Saturday morning after the aircraft's systems were updated.