Airbus slowed A330neo deliveries after tool found in tail stabilizer

Airbus slowed deliveries of its A330neo widebody this summer after a tool was found loose in the tail section of an aircraft in production, the company confirmed. The discovery was made during a pre-delivery inspection, specifically in the horizontal stabilizer, which controls the aircraft's pitch angle. Airbus said in an emailed statement that it had identified an isolated quality issue on a horizontal tail plane of an A330, leading to inspections of A330s in production and a slowdown in monthly deliveries over the summer. The root cause has been identified and A330 deliveries have resumed, according to the company.

The inspection process halted commercial deliveries of the model for half the summer. June and July saw no A330 deliveries, and only one was projected for August. Airbus did not specify the location of the aircraft at the time the tool was left or discovered, though horizontal stabilizer production takes place at Airbus facilities in Spain. A source familiar with the matter said the incident was unrelated to a recent wave of strikes at Spanish plants.