Airbus has discovered a quality defect in its A321neo fleet that could reduce the corrosion resistance of the fuselage structure, the company said late Thursday. It is not a safety issue, Airbus stated, and the aircraft can remain in service.
Approximately 500 planes are affected, with around half already operating for customers and the remainder still under production, according to people familiar with the matter. The problem concerns deviations in the coating applied to longitudinal structural beams. Airbus said the root cause has been identified and a remedy is ready.
Customers continue to take delivery of the aircraft, though European regulators may in the future impose a mandatory repair requirement, the sources said.
The episode marks the second quality issue involving the A321neo’s fuselage structure within nine months, underscoring ongoing manufacturing challenges for the European plane maker as it races to scale output. Airbus is currently planning to raise its monthly narrow-body production rate from about 60 to 75 aircraft.
The company did not provide a timeline for when the corrective action would be implemented across the fleet.
