Airbus faces mounting production challenges after discovering an industrial quality issue with fuselage panels on several dozen A320-family aircraft, industry sources told Reuters on Monday. The flaw, detected during manufacturing checks, has delayed some deliveries but shows no immediate signs of impacting planes already in service. This revelation comes amid Airbus's push for a record 820 deliveries by year-end, with November's 72 aircraft falling short of expectations and requiring over 160 in December.
The problem exacerbates a recent crisis where Airbus directed repairs on 6,000 A320-family jets (A319s, A320 ceos/neos, A321 ceos/neos) following an EU Aviation Safety Agency mandate. Triggered by a JetBlue incident in October involving an uncommanded altitude drop, the software realignment for Elevator and Aileron Computers addressed solar radiation corrupting flight-control data. Global operations halted from Friday to Saturday, grounding fleets worldwide.
Indian carriers bore significant brunt: IndiGo had 200 aircraft affected, with 160 updated by Saturday; Air India 113 impacted (42 fixed); Air India Express 25 affected (4 updated). IndiGo assured close coordination with Airbus for compliance, while disruptions rippled through schedules at major hubs like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata. Most fleets resumed by Sunday after ground-based upgrades.
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Airbus shares plunged up to 10% on the news, reflecting investor concerns over quality control amid aggressive targets. Analysts remain divided: some see ~800 deliveries feasible via ramped production, others warn of shortfalls. The fuselage issue's scope and cause remain under investigation, with no official Airbus comment yet. No in-service safety risks reported, but the dual setbacks highlight vulnerabilities in the popular narrowbody program's supply chain.
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