Airbus, Leonardo probe coatings glitch hitting 500 A321neo jets - report

Airbus and Italy’s Leonardo are investigating a quality issue affecting 500 of the planemaker’s A321neo jets, Reuters reported on Monday, citing sources. The glitch was discovered after an Airbus technician found gaps in the protective primer of a fuselage part, according to the report. Airbus confirmed the problem on Friday, following a report in the Air Current, but has not yet identified the cause, the report said.

Teams from Airbus and Leonardo are working at coatings supplier TESI, a Leonardo sub-contractor, to recover from the issue and determine the root cause, the report added. TESI did not respond to requests for comment, and Airbus declined to name other suppliers. Leonardo confirmed TESI is a supplier but has not disclosed whether it plays a role in the work for Airbus.

The problem involves strengthening rods called stringers in a section of the A321neo’s forward fuselage and has raised questions about quality controls and supply chain vulnerabilities, analysts said. Airbus has two suppliers for that section, including Leonardo and its own supplier Airbus Atlantic. However, Leonardo is the sole coatings supplier, according to the report.

About 500 planes are affected, including 250 in various stages of production, but safety remains unaffected, the report stated. Airlines receiving the aircraft will have two years to repair the parts, rather than the usual four-year maintenance cycle, with repairs expected to take up to nine days, including 2-3 days for the core repair job.

This is less concerning than some analysts had feared, as the parts do not need to be removed from the fuselage panel, the report said. The primer's absence does not pose an immediate safety risk, but a second fuselage glitch in less than a year may put pressure on Airbus' delivery targets for 2026, analysts said. Airbus reaffirmed its 2026 delivery target on Friday.