Airbus detects surface coating issue with A321neo fuselage, some IndiGo planes impacted: Report
IndiGo and Air India operate A321neo aircraft. Together, they have around 190 such planes.
Airbus has identified a quality issue with the surface protection coating on the fuselage of several narrow-body A321 neo planes, affecting some of the aircraft operated by IndiGo, according to sources. The Indian carrier, along with Air India, operates the A321 neo aircraft, with around 190 planes in their combined fleet. An Airbus spokesperson revealed during a routine rework, a surface protection deviation was noticed on stringers located at the lower front section of the fuselage, impacting a number of A321 aircraft.
The source of the issue has been identified and contained, and a remedy is available. All newly coated stringers meet all requirements, the spokesperson stated, assuring that the aircraft can continue to operate. This is reportedly a quality issue, not a safety concern. Around a dozen IndiGo A321 neo planes have been impacted, while Air India's fleet appears unaffected, with only nine A321 neo planes in their operation.
The affected aircraft require part of the fuselage to be repainted, with the work set to be completed within two years. Airbus mentioned that the rework does not necessitate any disassembly of the stringers, and once completed, the aircraft is considered to be back to nominal design.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
