Airbus flags 628 A320neo jets for checks as panel flaws threaten year-end delivery push: Report

Airbus has warned airlines that 628 A320neo-family jets may need inspections after a supplier’s manufacturing flaw left some aircraft with exterior panels that fall outside the company’s thickness specifications, according to a Bloomberg report. Most of the affected airframes are still within Airbus’s production system, while more than 160 jets already in service will also require checks, according to a presentation shared with customers.

Airbus informed operators last week that approximately 460 airframes, still in various stages of production from early build to final assembly, are part of the group requiring verification. Another 168 aircraft already flying will need the same inspections, bringing the total to 628 jets, according to a presentation viewed by Bloomberg.

The defects relate to variability in the milling process that left some exterior skin panels either too thin or too thick compared with Airbus’s specifications. Because the affected panels were produced without serial numbers, Airbus said the checks must be carried out across the entire batch of potentially impacted aircraft.

The panels in question sit on the crown of the A320 and on both sides of the main front door. A person familiar with the matter said the inspections are “relatively straightforward and non-invasive,” but must be applied universally because the panels cannot be traced individually.

Of the 628 aircraft:

• 168 are in service

• 245 are on final assembly lines or preparing for delivery

• 215 are in early production

Airbus told customers that a “significant proportion” of the panels are expected to conform to standards and will be accepted without further action.

The issue adds fresh pressure on Airbus as it races to meet its ambitious target of 820 aircraft deliveries this year. The manufacturer delivered approximately 70 jets in November, leaving around 165 units to be handed over in December to meet its goal.