EASA Orders Inspections on Airbus A320 Aircraft for Possible Defective Panels
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has proposed a series of mandatory inspections on certain Airbus A320 family aircraft, following the detection of a quality issue related to fuselage panels that may not meet the technical specifications established during their manufacturing.
The measure affects operators that received aircraft with potentially non‑conforming parts and aims to ensure there is no risk to the aircraft’s structural integrity.
Origin of the Problem Detected by EASA
According to the European regulator, the situation was identified after an Airbus supplier detected a quality issue during production. This failure is believed to have caused possible deviations in the specified thickness of several fuselage panels supplied to the European manufacturer.
EASA warned that this condition, if not detected and corrected, could affect the aircraft’s structure when combined with certain types of prior repairs. For this reason, the agency decided to issue an airworthiness directive, published on Wednesday, which will remain open for public consultation until January 14.
What Affected Airlines Must Do
Operators that have received A320 aircraft with potentially non‑conforming parts must measure the panel thickness if certain technical conditions are met. Additionally, they will be required to report the results directly to Airbus.
In cases where airlines have performed previous repairs on the panels in question, it will be necessary to inspect those specific areas to verify the required thickness within 14 days of the directive taking effect. If out‑of‑specification values are detected, Airbus will provide the corresponding repair instructions.
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Furthermore, EASA demanded a full panel inspection within six months after the measure becomes active.
Airbus Had Already Alerted Operators
One day before the European directive was published, Airbus sent a notification called an Alert Operator Transmission to airlines. In that communication, the manufacturer informed them about the problem and included the serial numbers of the aircraft that could be affected.
The panels in question were manufactured by Sofitec Aero. Airbus had previously stated that it is implementing a joint plan with the Spanish supplier, which includes the presence of quality and supply‑chain specialists at the manufacturing plant located in Seville.
Impact on Production and Figures Involved
This supplier is at the center of recent quality‑control problems that forced Airbus to reduce its delivery target for 2025. According to information reported by Bloomberg earlier this month, a total of 628 aircraft incorporate panels that could be too thick or too thin as a result of the manufacturing flaw.
Most of those aircraft are still in Airbus’s possession, although around 170 units are already in commercial operation.
Previous Complaints About the Supplier
A union representing Sofitec workers had previously accused the company of facing broader problems at its factory. Among the allegations are the alleged falsification of dates in production processes and the use of expired materials.
The union organization also pointed out that the company had been subject to government inspections due to non‑compliance with occupational health and safety regulations.
The evolution of this case will now depend on the results of the inspections and the corrective actions applied to the affected aircraft, in a context where industrial‑quality oversight has become a priority for European aviation.
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