Airbus Fights to Restore Trust After Software Glitch and New Fuselage Panel Issue Bites
A major shake-up for Europe's largest aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, came on Monday when shares plummeted after discovering a separate quality problem affecting fuselage panels. The company had previously fixed software issues that grounded thousands of its A320 family jets over the weekend. But while most repairs are now complete, up to 15% of affected planes may need a hardware upgrade, which could add weeks to their return to service.
The latest setback follows last week's massive software recall, which was triggered by analysis of an incident revealing "intense solar radiation that corrupts data critical to flight controls." Airbus initially cited this issue as the reason for grounding over 6,000 aircraft worldwide, sparking widespread travel disruptions during Thanksgiving weekend in the US. The airline delta, united and american were particularly hard hit.
Airbus has since stated that the "vast majority" of software fixes have been completed, leaving fewer than 100 planes still needing updates before they can fly again. However, analysts at Deutsche Bank have estimated that up to 15% of affected aircraft may require a hardware upgrade.
But shares in Airbus tumbled by as much as six percent on Monday after news emerged of the new fuselage panel issue affecting only a "limited number" of planes. Despite this being contained and all newly produced panels conforming to requirements, investors remain wary. The company has vowed to take a conservative approach and inspect all aircraft potentially impacted.
In related news, easyJet and Wizz Air – both operating A320 jets affected by the software issue – reported completing their software updates without cancelling any flights. JetBlue is also expected to return 137 of its affected planes back in service by Monday, while airlines delta, united and american will likely face more disruptions before their aircraft are cleared for flight.
The recall's impact on UK airlines seems limited, according to transport secretary Heidi Alexander. However, the fix could be more complex for older planes, potentially leading to lengthy supply chain bottlenecks and increased maintenance costs for Airbus.
Shares in Airbus remain down by about four percent over the past five days but have still seen a 20% increase so far this year. The company employs around 157,000 people worldwide.
A major shake-up for Europe's largest aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, came on Monday when shares plummeted after discovering a separate quality problem affecting fuselage panels. The company had previously fixed software issues that grounded thousands of its A320 family jets over the weekend. But while most repairs are now complete, up to 15% of affected planes may need a hardware upgrade, which could add weeks to their return to service.
The latest setback follows last week's massive software recall, which was triggered by analysis of an incident revealing "intense solar radiation that corrupts data critical to flight controls." Airbus initially cited this issue as the reason for grounding over 6,000 aircraft worldwide, sparking widespread travel disruptions during Thanksgiving weekend in the US. The airline delta, united and american were particularly hard hit.
Airbus has since stated that the "vast majority" of software fixes have been completed, leaving fewer than 100 planes still needing updates before they can fly again. However, analysts at Deutsche Bank have estimated that up to 15% of affected aircraft may require a hardware upgrade.
But shares in Airbus tumbled by as much as six percent on Monday after news emerged of the new fuselage panel issue affecting only a "limited number" of planes. Despite this being contained and all newly produced panels conforming to requirements, investors remain wary. The company has vowed to take a conservative approach and inspect all aircraft potentially impacted.
In related news, easyJet and Wizz Air – both operating A320 jets affected by the software issue – reported completing their software updates without cancelling any flights. JetBlue is also expected to return 137 of its affected planes back in service by Monday, while airlines delta, united and american will likely face more disruptions before their aircraft are cleared for flight.
The recall's impact on UK airlines seems limited, according to transport secretary Heidi Alexander. However, the fix could be more complex for older planes, potentially leading to lengthy supply chain bottlenecks and increased maintenance costs for Airbus.
Shares in Airbus remain down by about four percent over the past five days but have still seen a 20% increase so far this year. The company employs around 157,000 people worldwide.
. First software glitch, then new issue with fuselage panels... can't they just get it together for once? 
And yeah, up to 15% of planes needing a hardware upgrade? that's a whole lotta hassle and cost for them. I feel bad for the airlines too, especially those that got hit hard like Delta, United, and American. easyJet and Wizz Air did good for themselves by completing their software updates without cancelling flights 
.
. but hey, at least they're being transparent about it, I guess? and shares still seeing a 20% increase so far this year... maybe we should be grateful? 
! I don't know how airlines can deal with these constant software glitches and panel issues on their planes 
. It's like they're always chasing after something to fix, you know? 
And what's up with the supply chain bottlenecks and increased maintenance costs? Like, doesn't that just add more pressure on already overwhelmed airlines? 
. But hey, at least some airlines like JetBlue are doing okay, right? 
Airbus, can you please do better? 
. Still, it's gonna be a while before these planes are back in the skies.
. And with JetBlue and EasyJet seeming to get their software updates done without major issues, I'm kinda hoping Airbus can get its act together soon 
they just had some software issues & now another problem with fuselage panels lol like what else is new 
the fact that up to 15% of planes need a hardware upgrade though is kinda concerning tho 
let's just hope they can get their act together before more ppl get affected 
. The fact that up to 15% of affected planes need a hardware upgrade does seem like a bit of a bummer, but it's also kind of reassuring that Airbus is being super cautious and taking their time to get everything right 
.
. If older planes are gonna take longer to get cleared for flight, that could lead to some pretty significant costs and delays for airlines. But hey, at least Airbus is being proactive and taking steps to ensure their planes are safe to fly again 
. Some, like JetBlue, seem to be handling the situation without too much disruption, while others, like Delta, United, and American, may face more challenges ahead 
. Overall, I'd say it's business as usual for Airbus – they just need to get their planes back in the air and keep flying 
️.
the fact that up to 15% of planes might need hardware upgrades is a major bummer, especially considering all the travel disruptions already caused by the last recall 
as for the UK, it seems like transport secretary heidi alexander is keeping an eye on things 
supply chain bottlenecks and increased maintenance costs are no joke though 
. I mean, can't they just get their act together for once? 
Anyway, at least easyJet and Wizz Air were able to complete their software updates without any major issues 
. They might be able to swoop in and take Airbus' market share while they're still dealing with their problems.
. And what really gets me is that this could be more complex for older planes, leading to supply chain bottlenecks and increased maintenance costs 
.