Airbus is asking certain A330neo operators to check their aircraft for stray tools, following an issue in September 2026 involving a horizontal tail plane that hampered production.
According to Bloomberg, Airbus has contacted several airlines to request that, during routine maintenance, they carry out extra inspections to ensure that no other aircraft has been affected.
In September 2026, news surfaced that Airbus staff were inspecting every A330neo at its facilities, over concerns relating to the horizontal tail plane.
Reuters later reported that the issue arose when a tool was found in the structure of an A330neo during an inspection before delivery.
According to Bloomberg, a specific number of A330neos built between 2021 and July 2026 have been identified for additional checks.
“After having spotted an isolated finding in an aircraft in production, we are committed to discounting similar findings in aircraft currently in service,” Airbus told Bloomberg. “We do not compromise on quality and safety.”
In its statement, Airbus announced that it was asking operators to carry out the inspection during planned maintenance, in anticipation that checks may become mandatory later.
The planemaker said that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had confirmed that there was no immediate safety issue, according to Bloomberg.
By mid-November, EASA is expected to set a deadline by which affected operators must complete the required inspections.
Airbus’ delivery data for June and July 2026 showed that no A330neo aircraft were delivered over that two-month period. In August 2026, a single A330neo was delivered to Starlux Airlines.
Before August 2026, Airbus delivered nine A330neos across the year. While there were no A330neo deliveries in January and February 2026, Airbus delivered three in March 2026, two in April 2026 and four in May 2026.