Airbus tells airlines to check A330neo jets for stray tools

Airbus SE is asking some airlines to conduct additional inspections on their A330neos when they undergoing routine maintenance to check for a previously disclosed quality lapse. The issue concerns stray tools, or so-called foreign object debris, left behind in the horizontal tail plane section of the aircraft, according to people familiar with the matter. A certain number of A330s, produced between 2021 and July 2026, have been identified as being potentially impacted, the people said, asking not to be identified as the matter is not public. The need for more extensive inspections suggests the issue is harder to pin down given it spans several years of production. An Airbus spokesperson confirmed that it was asking airlines to inspect their in-service fleet. The manufacturer was asking customers who were preparing planned maintenance for their A330s to undertake the checks to comply in anticipation of future inspection requirements, should they be mandated for their specific aircraft, the company said in a statement. Bloomberg News in September reported that deliveries of the A330 had slowed to a near halt over the summer after a quality lapse was identified in the tail section of in-production aircraft. Deliveries of A330s in September continued to be low due to the inspections, the people said. Overall, Airbus delivered a low-70s number of commercial aircraft in September, other people familiar with the matter said. Airbus declined to comment on September deliveries ahead of the official publication of data. Airbus was in discussions with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, which had confirmed that there was no immediate safety issue, the planemaker said. The company expects EASA's approval on the permitted time for complying with the inspection and final list of affected aircraft, latest by mid-November. EASA said that it's aware of the quality issue identified by Airbus on the aircraft, though there's "no immediate safety concern for the in-service A330 fleet," the regulator said. "EASA is working with Airbus to finalise the scope of any affected aircraft and the appropriate timeframe for any inspections that may be required," it said in a statement. Airbus called the incident an "isolated finding in an aircraft in production," and that it wants to make sure to avoid similar findings in planes currently in service. The Airbus A330neo is an upgraded version of the company's older widebody model, featuring new engines and an improved wing design. The plane sits between the company's A320 family of narrowbody jets and the flagship A350 widebody, which features more powerful engines and more advanced materials that make it lighter. Airbus builds roughly four A330neos a month and has plans to increase output to five in 2029, as the tried-and-tested widebody model enjoys a resurgence in popularity with airlines retiring their older A330ceo jets or looking for a cheaper alternative to the A350 or Boeing Co.'s 787 competitor.