Airbus (EU:AIR) and Leonardo (BIT:LDO) are investigating a coating issue affecting around 500 A321neo aircraft, according to people familiar with the matter, as engineering teams work to identify the cause and support repairs.
Airbus confirmed the quality issue on Friday following an earlier report by the Air Current. According to the sources, the problem was discovered after an Airbus technician removed paint from a fuselage component and identified gaps in the protective primer underneath.
Engineering teams from Airbus and Leonardo are working at coatings supplier TESI, a Leonardo subcontractor located south of Naples, as part of the investigation and recovery effort.
The cause of the coating issue has not yet been identified, according to the sources.
TESI did not respond to requests for comment. Airbus declined to identify the suppliers involved. Leonardo confirmed that TESI is one of its suppliers but did not say whether the company is involved in its Airbus-related work.
Issue Affects A321neo Fuselage Stringers
The problem involves stringers, structural reinforcing components located in a section of the A321neo’s forward fuselage.
Airbus uses two suppliers for the relevant fuselage section: Leonardo and its internal supplier Airbus Atlantic, formerly known as Stelia. Airbus Atlantic also has overall responsibility for the forward section of the aircraft, according to the sources.
Leonardo has one supplier for the coatings involved, the sources said.
Airbus has said approximately 500 aircraft are affected, including about 250 at different stages of production. The company said the issue does not affect aircraft safety.
Airlines Given Two Years to Complete Repairs
Airlines that continue accepting deliveries of affected aircraft will have two years to complete the required repair, rather than following the usual four-year maintenance cycle, according to the sources.
The work is expected to take up to nine days, including approximately two to three days for the main repair.
The affected components will not need to be removed from the fuselage panel, reducing the extent of the required work compared with scenarios that had been considered by some analysts.
The primer is intended to protect against corrosion that can develop over time in the lowest part of the aircraft fuselage, an area known as the “bilge”, where moisture can accumulate.
Its absence does not represent an immediate safety risk for a new aircraft, according to the source.
Supply Chain Remains in Focus
The coating issue is the second fuselage-related problem to affect Airbus in less than a year and comes as the manufacturer works to increase aircraft deliveries during the second half of 2026.
Aviation analyst Rob Morris said the incident illustrated the continuing sensitivity of aircraft manufacturing to individual suppliers.
“The supply chain is still not under control; we thought it was but it isn’t,” Morris said.
“It just takes one company and suddenly you have a problem.”
Airbus reaffirmed its 2026 aircraft delivery target on Friday.
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