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Airbus has identified a quality problem affecting about 500 A321neo aircraft, with roughly 250 already in service and another 250 still in production
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The European planemaker said it has contained the issue and that the defect does not pose an immediate safety risk to passengers or crews.
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The problem involves the surface protection or coating on fuselage stringers, structural components that run lengthways inside the aircraft’s fuselage
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Airbus said the deviation was discovered while affected parts were already undergoing rework on its production line and that a remedy has been developed.
September 25, (THEWILL) – Airbus has identified a quality issue involving the fuselage structure of about 500 A321neo aircraft but said the problem does not pose a safety risk and that a corrective measure is already available.
The European aircraft manufacturer said on Thursday that it had identified and contained a “deviation” involving the surface protection or coating applied to structural components known as stringers, which run lengthways along the fuselage.
A source familiar with the matter said the defect affects approximately 500 aircraft, comprising about 250 A321neos already in service and another 250 aircraft currently in production.
Airbus said the problem was detected while the affected components were already undergoing rework on the production line. The company has since identified the source of the issue and contained it, while a remedy has been developed.
The manufacturer said there was no immediate safety concern, allowing aircraft already delivered to airlines to remain in operation.
The A321neo is Airbus’s largest single-aisle passenger aircraft and one of the most widely used members of the company’s A320neo family.
It can accommodate up to 244 passengers and has a range of up to about 4,000 nautical miles, making it particularly important for airlines operating longer routes traditionally served by larger aircraft.
The latest manufacturing problem is the second fuselage-related quality issue to emerge at Airbus within nine months.
THEWILL recalls that the company had in last December, disclosed defects involving fuselage panels on A320-family aircraft. Although Airbus also characterised that problem as a quality issue without safety implications, the investigation and subsequent corrective work contributed to delivery delays lasting several months.
The recurrence of a fuselage-related manufacturing issue comes at a critical point for Airbus as it works to expand production of its highly sought-after narrowbody aircraft. Airbus is seeking to raise monthly production of its single-aisle jets to about 75 aircraft from roughly 60 at present. The A321neo has become particularly important to the company’s order book, with airlines increasingly favouring larger single-aisle aircraft for both domestic and medium-haul international operations.
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The source said Airbus first detected the issue during the summer and that more detailed analysis had recently produced the initial results confirming the nature of the problem.
Customers are continuing to accept A321neo deliveries without insisting that the affected components receive additional work before the aircraft are handed over, the source said.
Airbus has also informed customers that there is currently no immediate requirement for repairs to aircraft already in service.
Delta Air Lines, which operates A321neo aircraft, said it was monitoring the matter in consultation with Airbus.
“We are in contact with our OEM partners continually and will always take action to meet or exceed operator recommendations and regulator directives”, the airline stated.
The A321neo is a key part of Airbus’s commercial strategy and competes directly with Boeing’s 737 MAX family in the single-aisle market.
Its combination of passenger capacity and range has made it particularly attractive to airlines seeking to replace older aircraft and expand capacity without moving to larger twin-aisle jets.
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