The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has cautioned that flights operated by some airlines may be disrupted over the next few days after a sweeping software directive was issued for the Airbus A320 family jets.

The move follows a safety alert from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) requiring an immediate software update across a significant portion of the global A320 fleet.

CAA Director of Aviation Safety, Giancarlo Buono, said regulators were alerted to the issue and urged passengers to check with their airline to verify whether their flight is affected.

The update is mandatory before the aircraft can return to service, meaning some planes may be temporarily grounded or delayed while maintenance is performed.

The recall affects up to half of the worldwide in-service A320 jets, with earlier estimates putting the number at roughly 6,000 aircraft.

While many can be returned to operation quickly with a software patch, those needing more extensive hardware modifications could remain grounded for longer — raising the prospect of widespread disruption as airlines scramble to comply.

Major carriers have already begun scheduling the required maintenance.

Some have warned passengers that short-haul services operated using A320-family jets may see cancellations or delays around the upcoming weekend.

Other airlines report only modest impact, depending on how many of their aircraft fall under the directive.

As the holiday travel period intensifies, the CAA and EASA emphasise that safety remains paramount and that airlines must prioritise compliance — even at the cost of short-term inconvenience.

Passengers are being urged to monitor flight-status updates closely and prepare for possible changes to their travel plans.