According to a report by “The Air Current,” AIRBUS has warned its customers about a quality defect detected in the fuselage structure of its A321neo aircraft. The issue affects approximately 500 aircraft from the European manufacturer—250 already delivered and another 250 currently in production or awaiting delivery—though it poses no safety risk.
The company discovered a “deviation” in the surface coating applied to structural components known as stringers located in the lower forward section of the fuselage. AIRBUS confirmed that the issue originated at an unidentified tier-2 supplier. The problem was detected over the summer and does not affect the longest-range variant of the A321neo, the A321XLR.
Furthermore, the publication understands that AIRBUS does not currently anticipate any changes to its full-year delivery forecast as a result of this latest quality issue. However, sources consider it likely that the problem will put pressure on medium-term deliveries as AIRBUS moves forward with repair work on the affected aircraft already within its production system.
