Airbus has confirmed that a number of its A320 family aircraft will undergo inspections following the discovery of a “supplier quality issue” affecting metal panels on some planes. The European manufacturer said the problem, while limited in scope, involves panels at the front of the aircraft that were either too thick or too thin.
The announcement comes just days after thousands of A320 planes were temporarily grounded for a critical software update to prevent flight control issues caused by intense solar radiation. Airbus said it is taking a “conservative approach” by checking all aircraft that could be affected, with up to 600 planes set to undergo inspections. However, not all are expected to require repairs.
A spokesperson for Airbus told the BBC that the source of the problem has been identified and contained, and that all newly produced panels meet the required standards. “This quality issue does not affect the flight safety of the aircraft in question,” the spokesperson added. “Only inspections will determine where an aircraft may have panels with quality issues and the appropriate action to be taken.”
Of the planes requiring checks, 168 are already in service, Reuters reported. The timeline for any necessary repairs has not been disclosed. Major airlines operating the A320 family, including British Airways, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Korean Air, and Delta, have been contacted for comment.
Korean Air stated it is awaiting further information from Airbus to determine whether any of its aircraft are affected. Delta Airlines confirmed that its teams have completed the required work and reported no impact on operations. “This applies to a small portion of our Airbus A320 family fleet. Specifically, less than 50 A321neo aircraft,” Delta said.
Lufthansa Group, which includes airlines such as SWISS, ITA Airways, and Eurowings, said 11 recently delivered aircraft require inspection. “Lufthansa will carry out the recommended inspection immediately and is in close contact with the manufacturer,” the airline said. It added that the safety of its aircraft remains guaranteed and that there are no operational effects.
The latest announcement follows a significant disruption earlier this week, when more than 6,000 Airbus aircraft were grounded to receive emergency software updates. The precautionary measure was prompted by a vulnerability in flight control computers exposed by intense solar radiation. One incident involving a plane flying between the US and Mexico led to a sudden loss of altitude, injuring 15 passengers.
Airbus shares have fallen by more than 6.5% over the past five days, reflecting investor concerns over the series of issues affecting the A320 fleet.
Airbus has stressed that both the panel inspection and previous software updates are precautionary measures, and no immediate threat to passenger safety has been identified. The company and airlines are coordinating to complete the inspections as quickly as possible to minimize operational disruptions.
