I'm not having this problem, its worked as advertised. Do you make sure the settings are correct using the F10 options?

They probably have no ammo..

I have the same problem, when I allow the FTs to return automatically to the CV. It does not happen all the time, but it happens.

"Not enough fuel I'm coming home"....once I heard that four times in a row, from the same squadron, and four times I had to correct its course.

If I recall correctly, they touched those times long before the last patch, maybe has to do with it.

theres the fuel bug for planes that staying in the air after running out of fuel
(usually after spending all their ammo, also makes them aaw imune if they werent allready)

but i think setting your planes settings on F10> "game settings" should do the trick, it worked for me

This happens to me on very clear occasions. I figured out at that time that, at least in my case, it wasn't a bug.

Planes are set to return once they reach a point of no return. If I move the ship and the planes, this "point of no return" changes every time.

So, when the planes get to that point and start to return... if I move them and suddenly the ship also closes in (closing the gap between fuel and distance to return), planes recover the chance of getting safely back to the ship... that makes the point of no return appear again and eventually, the planes will set the "no fuel going back" warning once again.

I know this is a very specific case and it might not be your case, but it happens.