Airbus must check for manufacturing flaws on hundreds of planes
What happened
The US aviation regulator proposes a new rule requiring airlines to inspect specific Airbus planes for manufacturing defects. This means airlines will need to perform detailed checks on fasteners and holes on certain A318, A319, A320, and A321 models.
Why it matters
A manufacturing error during the cold working process means that hundreds of Airbus planes might have structural weaknesses. Airlines will now have to spend money and time to find these flaws. This is a direct cost increase for operators of these specific Airbus models.
The signal
Watch for the final rule to be issued and how quickly airlines comply with the inspection requirements, especially if it leads to grounding planes for repairs.