New Airbus A321neo Deliveries Carry Nine-Day Grounding Within Two Years
Airlines are taking delivery of new Airbus A321neo aircraft knowing each will need to be pulled from service for about nine days within two years to fix a manufacturing defect in the forward fuselage.
Airlines are taking delivery of factory-new Airbus A321neo jets worth more than $130 million apiece, knowing each will have to leave revenue service within two years of entry. The aircraft come off assembly lines in Toulouse, Hamburg, Mobile and Tianjin.
According to the source, every airframe has a built-in operational timer: within two years of entering service, the jet must sit in a hangar for nine days while a manufacturing defect in the forward fuselage is corrected.
The source does not name the defect, the carriers involved, or how many aircraft are affected.
Sources
- simpleflying.comAirlines Are Accepting Brand-New Airbus A321neos Knowing They'll Be Grounded 9 Days Within 2 Years