Airbus plans inspections on a portion of its fleet after uncovering a quality concern with metal panels used on certain A320 aircraft. The issue, described by the company as a supplier quality problem, affects a “limited number” of planes and follows the recent grounding of thousands of A320s for an urgent software update.
In a cautious move, Airbus said it would review all potentially affected aircraft, even though not every airplane will require repair. A spokesperson told AFP that roughly 600 A320s could be impacted, though Airbus did not confirm a precise figure to the BBC."The source of the issue has been identified, contained, and all newly produced panels meet all requirements," the spokesperson stated. The release added that only inspections will reveal whether an aircraft has panels with quality issues and what action, if any, is needed.
AFP noted that the number of planes needing review is decreasing as inspections proceed and identify those requiring specific measures.
The BBC reached out to major A320 operators for comment, including British Airways, American Airlines, Korean Air, Lufthansa, and Delta.
Earlier this week, thousands of Airbus aircraft were grounded for a software update after authorities flagged that intense solar radiation can interfere with onboard flight-control computers. The incident stemmed from a fault exposed when a flight between the United States and Mexico temporarily lost altitude, injuring 15 people.
The recall and update affected more than 6,000 Airbus jets, marking one of the aviation industry’s largest-ever software update campaigns. Global disruptions followed, with numerous flight cancellations during the year-end travel peak, especially in the United States around Thanksgiving.
Airbus’s share price has declined by more than 6.5% over the last five trading sessions as the issues unfolded.
