Airbus shares fell more than 1% on Friday following the disclosure of a quality issue affecting 500 A321neo aircraft - including roughly 250 already in service and 250 in production. According to reports from The Economic Times, the stock was down about 1.3% in early trading, underperforming other blue-chip stocks on France's CAC 40 index. The aircraft manufacturer has identified a repair for the issue, although it did not immediately clarify whether the quality problem would affect aircraft deliveries.
Airbus confirmed a report by The Air Current that the issue involves coatings applied to a structural component inside the forward fuselage of the A321neo. As reported by Reuters, the company said the flaw did not pose an immediate safety risk and was discovered while parts were already undergoing rework on the production line. The latest reports indicate Airbus has identified the source of the issue as a deviation in surface protection on stringers located at the lower front section of the fuselage. The spokesman confirmed that the problem was not a safety concern and has been contained, with a remedy available. Aircraft can continue to operate, and the rework doesn't require any disassembly of the stringers.
The disclosure comes as Airbus continues to ramp up production to meet strong demand for its narrow-body aircraft. According to Reuters, the company is trying to increase production of narrow-body jets to 75 a month from about 60 now. The latest snag comes as Airbus was working to resolve supply-chain and manufacturing challenges while increasing output of the A320 family. The source said Airbus first spotted the problem over the summer and the first results from closer analysis came back recently. This part of the plane is made by Airbus's in-house aerostructures unit Stelia, which was not immediately available for comment.
Customers are continuing to take aircraft deliveries without insisting on extra work being carried out in advance, and Airbus has told customers there is no immediate requirement to repair. However, Reuters reports that European regulators may issue a directive requiring the defects to be repaired within a certain period. US carrier Delta Air Lines, which operates A321neo planes, said it was continually in contact with manufacturers and would "always take action to meet or exceed operator recommendations and regulator directives." This marks the second industrial problem to affect the fuselage of the industry's best-selling model in nine months, following defects with fuselage panels reported last December.
