Airlines taking delivery of Airbus A321neo aircraft affected by a protective coating defect will have two years to complete repairs, instead of the usual four-year maintenance cycle, Reuters reported on Monday.
The intervention could take up to nine days, including two to three days for the main repair. The affected components will not need to be removed from the fuselage panel, reducing the disruption some analysts had feared.
Airbus and Leonardo engineers are investigating the cause at Italian coatings supplier TESI, according to the report.
The issue affects approximately 500 A321neo aircraft, including around 250 already in service and another 250 at various stages of production. Airbus has said aircraft can continue operating safely. The longer-range A321XLR is not affected, according to a source cited in earlier reporting.
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The defect concerns the protective coating on longitudinal structural components known as stringers in the forward fuselage. Inadequate coverage can reduce corrosion resistance over time.
395 deliveries needed in four months
Airbus has maintained its target of around 870 commercial aircraft deliveries in 2026. Its official figures show 475 aircraft handed over through August, leaving 395 for the final four months of the year.
That requires an average of nearly 99 deliveries per month across its commercial aircraft range. Although deliveries typically increase towards year-end, additional inspections and rework could complicate an already demanding schedule.
The manufacturer ended 2025 with a record backlog of 8,754 commercial aircraft. That order book provides years of demand, but meeting customer schedules depends on production capacity and supplier performance.
The latest defect follows a separate fuselage panel problem disclosed in December 2025. That issue contributed to delivery delays and Airbus missing its original annual target. The company has indicated that the new coating problem is less severe.
Shares fell 1% on Friday
Airbus shares closed at €192.40 in Paris on September 25, down 1.02% from the previous session. Reuters had reported a decline of around 1.3% during early trading.
Analysts differed over the potential consequences. Citi highlighted a risk to the annual delivery target depending on repair requirements and customer acceptance, while Jefferies said the availability of a remedy should limit disruption.
Airlines have continued accepting affected aircraft, in some cases in exchange for concessions related to future maintenance.
