Airbus will inspect a number of its A320 aircraft after identifying a supplier quality issue with metal panels used on the jetliners. The company described the problem as affecting a limited subset of planes and stated that a cautious approach is being taken by inspecting all potentially affected aircraft, even though not every aircraft will require repairs.
Airbus did not specify an exact figure in its reply to the BBC, but AFP cited around 600 A320s as potentially impacted. A company spokesperson told the BBC that the source of the issue has been identified and contained, and that all newly produced panels meet all requirements. The spokesperson added that only inspections will reveal which aircraft may have panels with quality issues and what actions, if any, are necessary.
AFP noted that the number of planes needing inspection is decreasing as checks progress and those requiring specific actions are identified.
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 planes were grounded for an urgent software update after it was found that intense solar radiation could disrupt onboard flight-control computers. The issue came to light following an incident in which a flight en route from the United States to Mexico suddenly lost altitude, injuring 15 people.
More than 6,000 Airbus aircraft required emergency computer updates, marking one of the aviation industry’s largest recalls. The situation caused widespread disruption and flight cancellations during the busy year-end travel period, notably in the United States around Thanksgiving.
Airbus’s share price has fallen more than 6.5% over the past five days.
