Airbus detected an industrial quality issue affecting fuselage panels on several dozen A320-family aircraft, industry sources said on Monday. The potential production problem is delaying some deliveries, but there are no immediate indications that it has reached operational aircraft, according to the sources, who asked not to be identified.
The source of the problem could not be readily determined. It came as Airbus ramped up efforts to meet tight year-end delivery targets, while also being distracted by a weekend recall of jets due to a software problem. According to someone with direct knowledge of the situation, some deliveries have already been impacted, but there is no instant confirmation of how many or how long.
According to industry insiders, the planemaker delivered 72 aircraft in November, which is fewer than many experts predicted and brings the total for the year to 657. It plans to deliver “around 820” jets this year, which would require it to set a record of more than 160 in December.
The record for the last month of the year was 138 in 2019. Analysts were divided on whether the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer can fulfill delivery targets, which influence revenue and cash flow because airlines pay a large portion of a plane’s value for delivery.
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