Airbus finds coating cracks in 500 aircraft, speeds repairs as supply chain scrutiny grows

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Airbus probes cracks in 500 aircraft as Austrian Airlines threatens fleet cuts over Vienna costs
ContinuationAirbus finds coating cracks in 500 aircraft, speeds repairs as supply chain scrutiny grows
Airbus confirmed on Friday a quality defect affecting approximately 500 aircraft, including 250 in various stages of production, after a technician discovered cracks in a protective coating beneath the paint on a fuselage section. The issue involves reinforcing rods called longerons in a forward section of the A321neo, prompting engineering teams from Airbus and Leonardo to investigate at coating supplier TESI’s facilities, according to Reuters .
Leonardo confirmed TESI as a supplier but did not disclose its involvement in the Airbus repairs. Airbus stated that safety remains unaffected and airlines receiving deliveries will have two years to repair the damaged parts, rather than the standard four-year maintenance cycle, with work expected to take up to nine days per aircraft, including 2-3 days for core repairs. The parts will not need removal from the fuselage panel, easing earlier concerns among analysts.
The defect, first reported by *The Air Current*, has raised new questions about quality control and supply chain vulnerabilities, analysts said. Airbus has two suppliers for the affected fuselage section: Leonardo and its own subsidiary Airbus Atlantic, formerly Stelia, which also handles the entire forward section. Leonardo, however, relies on a single coating supplier, TESI, for this component.
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