Airbus identifies A321neo quality defect but says no safety risk
Airbus said it identified and contained a fuselage quality issue affecting about 500 A321neo aircraft, but said the planes can continue operating because there is no safety risk. About 250 affected planes are in service and 250 are in production.
1. Defect affects 500 aircraft
Airbus said it found a deviation in the surface coating on fuselage stringers, structural components that run lengthways through the aircraft. A source familiar with the matter said the issue affects about 250 A321neo planes already in service and 250 in production. Airbus said it had identified and contained the source and that a remedy is available.
2. No immediate repair requirement
Customers are continuing to take deliveries without requiring extra work in advance, and Airbus has told them there is no immediate repair requirement, the source said. European regulators may issue a directive requiring repairs within a specified period. Airbus said the issue poses no safety risk, and its longer-range A321XLR is not affected, the source said.
3. Production increase underway
The issue was first spotted over the summer, the source said. Airbus is trying to increase narrow-body jet production to 75 a month from about 60. The fuselage components are made by Airbus' in-house aerostructures unit Stelia.
