Airbus says most of its recalled 6,000 A320 jets now modified

PARIS, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab fleets were returning towards normal operations on Monday after the European planemaker pushed through abrupt software changes faster than expected, averting a prolonged crisis over the discovery of a space-related computer bug.

Dozens of airlines from Asia to the United States said they had carried out a snap software retrofit ordered by Airbus, and mandated by global regulators, after a vulnerability to solar flares emerged in a recent mid-air incident on a JetBlue A320.

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Wrestling with safety headlines long focused on rival Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab, Airbus said on Monday that the vast majority of around 6,000 of its A320-family fleet affected by the safety alert had been modified, with fewer than 100 jets still requiring work.

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Sources familiar with the matter said the unprecedented decision to recall about half the A320-family fleet was taken shortly after the possible but unproven link to a drop in altitude on the JetBlue jet emerged late last week.