Airbus is conducting inspections on a select number of its aircraft due to a quality issue with metal panels used on some A320 planes. This follows a recent grounding of thousands of the same model for an urgent software update, which was prompted by the risk of intense solar radiation interfering with onboard flight control computers. The issue was identified after a plane traveling between the US and Mexico suddenly lost altitude, injuring 15 people. More than 6,000 Airbus aircraft required emergency computer updates in one of the largest aviation industry recalls ever. The problem affects a limited number of planes, and the company is taking a conservative approach by checking all potentially affected aircraft, even though not all are expected to need repairs. Airbus has not confirmed the exact number of planes that may be impacted, but it is estimated that around 600 A320s, widely used by major airlines, could be affected. The company is working to identify and contain the source of the issue, and only inspections will determine which aircraft have panels with quality issues and the necessary actions to be taken. The situation has caused global disruption and flight cancellations, particularly during the busy travel season in the US around Thanksgiving. Airbus shares have fallen by more than 6.5% in the past five days, and the company is urging affected airlines to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of their aircraft.
