Airbus: Production Issues and Delivery Delays
- This article details two recent problems impacting Airbus A320 family aircraft.
- * Problem: Software controlling the aircraft's elevators, manufactured by Thales, was disrupted by intense solar radiation.
- * Problem: A production defect was discovered in fuselage panels (between the rear of the cockpit and the front door) manufactured by a supplier.
Airbus Faces Two Major Issues: Software Glitch & Production Defect
This article details two recent problems impacting Airbus A320 family aircraft.
1. Software Issue – Solar Radiation Disruption:
* Problem: Software controlling the aircraft’s elevators, manufactured by Thales, was disrupted by intense solar radiation.
* Examination: The issue was identified after a month-long investigation.
* Response: Airbus alerted the EASA and requested airlines ground approximately 6,000 A320 family planes (half the fleet). A temporary fix involved reverting to an older, more radiation-resistant software version. 98% of affected planes were quickly resolved. Around 100 planes remain grounded pending hardware upgrades.
* Thales’ Response: Thales declined to comment on the protection flaw in their software.
2. Production Defect – Fuselage Panel Thickness:
* Problem: A production defect was discovered in fuselage panels (between the rear of the cockpit and the front door) manufactured by a supplier. The panels are not thick enough to meet specifications.
* Impact: Up to 628 aircraft (in production and already delivered) could be affected.
The article also links to another article detailing further issues at Airbus, suggesting a continuing series of problems for the manufacturer.