Airbus has identified a production quality issue on the A330neo’s horizontal tail plane that slowed deliveries over the summer and brought handovers close to a halt for nearly three months. The company has since identified the root cause, described the problem as isolated and resumed A330 deliveries after additional inspections delayed aircraft handovers in June and July.
The disruption left Airbus with no A330neo deliveries in June and July, followed by just one handover in August to Taiwan’s Starlux Airlines. Production continued during the period, but aircraft awaiting inspection or corrective work held up delivery schedules. Airbus did not disclose the defect’s precise nature or how many aircraft required checks.
The A330neo remains an important widebody programme for Airbus, which is managing a large delivery backlog across its commercial jet portfolio. The pause came after a period of earlier spring deliveries and ended once the quality issue was traced and contained.