Airbus’s quality issue with panels on the A320neo family centres on possible deviations in the thickness of various structures delivered to the airframer.
The manufacturer had cited the panel problem when it revised its full-year delivery target downwards – from 820 to 790 commercial aircraft – on 3 December.
Airbus issued an operator bulletin on 16 December listing the serial numbers of aircraft potentially affected.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency states that the issue centres on the fuselage section 12, the structure in the region of the forward passenger door.
EASA says the deviations from specified thickness – in combination with “certain repair conditions” – could affect structural integrity.
It has ordered visual inspection and a full panel thickness measurement, and implementation of corrective actions.
EASA’s directive applies to different variants of the single-aisle family, from the A319neo to A321neo, but does not list the A321XLR.
The directive also contains panel repair restrictions as well as minimum equipment list dispatch limitations relating to the automatic cabin pressure control system.
EASA says the directive is an interim measure and it could issue further related instructions.
