Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturer, has identified a production issue affecting fuselage panels on several dozen of its A320-family airliners. The company has stated that the problem is “contained” and is inspecting potentially impacted aircraft. This development has led to a decline in Airbus shares, which fell over 10% in Paris on Monday following media reports of quality problems with A320 fuselage panels delaying deliveries of the top-selling jet.
According to a company spokesperson, Airbus has confirmed a “supplier quality issue affecting a limited number of A320 metal panels.” The spokesperson added that the company is taking a conservative approach and inspecting all aircraft potentially impacted, noting that only a portion of them will require further action. The source of the issue has been identified and contained, and all newly produced panels conform to requirements.
The issue has already affected some deliveries, although the exact number of aircraft involved and the duration of the delays are not yet clear. This is a critical issue for Airbus, as airlines typically pay a significant portion of the cost of a jet when it is handed over. The company has planned around 820 deliveries for the year, which would require a record month in December, having already delivered 657 aircraft so far this year.
The panel problem surfaced after Airbus announced that about 6,000 A320 jets should not fly again until they receive a software upgrade, following an incident in the US where an aircraft briefly nosedived while flying from Cancun to Newark. The manufacturer has also linked the software problem to an October 30 incident involving a JetBlue A320, which suffered an in-flight control issue due to a computer malfunction triggered by solar radiation. Initially, there were fears that hundreds of aircraft could be grounded for extended periods, but Airbus has since stated that fewer than 100 planes remain immobilized.
The recent issues with the A320-family airliners have raised concerns about the company’s production and quality control processes. However, Airbus has assured that it is taking necessary steps to address the problems and minimize disruptions to its customers. As the company works to resolve these issues, it remains to be seen how they will impact Airbus’s delivery schedule and overall performance in the coming months.
