Airbus Cuts Delivery Target Amid A320 Fuselage Panel Issues
Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturer, has confirmed a supplier quality issue
affecting a limited number of A320 metal panels and has decided to cut its delivery target for this year as a result. The company now aims to deliver approximately 790 aircraft, 30 fewer than the previous target. This comes within days of an urgent software replacement due to vulnerability to solar radiations on the same type of aircraft.
Background on Airbus A320 Issues
Airbus discovered a production problem affecting fuselage panels on several dozen of its best-selling A320-family airliners. This announcement resulted in a more than 10% fall in Airbus shares in Paris. The company is taking a cautious approach and inspecting all potentially impacted aircraft, even though only a portion will require further action.
Meanwhile, the Indian aviation regulator has launched an investigation into Air India for operating an aircraft eight times without a valid airworthiness review certificate. While the regulator did not name the aircraft type, a reference to the registration code of an Airbus A320 and a person with direct knowledge confirmed it was the single-aisle jet.
Global Recall and Delivery Reduction
Following the discovery of quality issues, Airbus issued a recall of its A320 fleet, causing disruptions in several countries. For example, Australia's Jetstar grounded some of its Airbus fleet and cancelled domestic flights across the country. The situation was compounded by a software glitch that led to the grounding of thousands of flights worldwide.
The quality issues and subsequent inspections have forced Airbus to lower its delivery target for 2025 to 790 aircraft, down from the 820 previously planned. Airbus is taking a conservative approach and is inspecting all aircraft potentially impacted – knowing that only a portion of them will need further action to be taken,
a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement shared by Reuters.
Implications and Reactions
These problems have led to operational disruptions and financial implications. Several countries, including India, have reported that the recall will cause significant operational disruptions. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has barred airlines from operating Airbus A319, A320, and A321 aircraft until urgent software or hardware modifications are made.
Financially, Airbus' decision to cut its delivery target is having ripple effects on the stock market. The company's shares fell more than 10% in Paris following the announcement of the quality issues with the A320 fuselage panels.
Current Status
Airbus has announced that the 'very large majority' of aircraft from the A320 series have been modified since the issue was announced. However, less than 100 Airbus aircraft remain grounded due to a software problem. The company remains committed to resolving the issue and minimizing the impact on its customers and operations.