Airbus Acknowledges Quality Problem with A320 Jets

The aircraft maker stated that a restricted number of aircraft are impacted by the issue, which has been “contained.”

 

European aviation giant Airbus has identified a manufacturing flaw concerning fuselage panels on multiple dozens of its highly successful A320-family jets. The company asserts the matter has been “contained” and that it is currently examining aircraft that could potentially be affected. 

On Monday, Airbus’s stock experienced a decline of over 10% in Paris, following media reports suggesting that quality concerns regarding A320 fuselage panels had led to delays in the delivery of the popular aircraft.

The company confirmed the detection of “a supplier quality problem impacting a limited quantity of A320 metal panels,” according to a company spokesperson in an emailed statement distributed by Reuters.

The spokesperson indicated, “Airbus is adopting a cautious stance and is inspecting all potentially affected aircraft – understanding that only some of them will require additional intervention.” 

“The origin of the problem has been pinpointed, controlled, and all recently manufactured panels now meet all specifications,” the spokesperson added.

While the precise number of aircraft involved or the potential duration of delays remained unclear, the issue has already impacted certain deliveries, a source with direct insight into the situation informed Reuters.

Timely deliveries are crucial for Airbus, as airlines commonly settle a significant portion of an aircraft’s cost upon its handover. Industry contacts disclosed to the publication that Airbus handed over 72 aircraft in November, bringing its year-to-date deliveries to 657. With a target of “around 820” deliveries for the year, December would necessitate an unprecedented monthly performance, the publication noted.

This panel issue emerged after Airbus announced last week that approximately 6,000 A320 aircraft would need a software update before resuming flights, subsequent to an incident in the United States. An airliner experienced a brief nosedive during a flight from Cancun to Newark, prompting pilots to divert and land in Tampa, Florida.

Furthermore, the manufacturer has connected the software glitch to an October 30 occurrence involving a JetBlue A320, which encountered an in-flight control difficulty attributed to a computer malfunction, seemingly caused by solar radiation, according to Airbus.

Initially, this disclosure sparked concerns that numerous aircraft might be idled for prolonged durations, however, Airbus stated on Monday that fewer than 100 planes remained out of service.