Airbus slowed deliveries of its A330neo wide-body jet after a tool was discovered left inside the horizontal stabilizer section of an aircraft under production, according to a person familiar with the matter.
"We confirm that we recently identified an isolated quality issue in the horizontal stabilizer of an A330," Airbus said in an emailed statement. "This led us to inspect A330s that were in the production process, slowing monthly deliveries during the summer. The root cause has been identified, and A330 deliveries have resumed."
The company did not deliver any A330 aircraft in June or July. Data to be released the following week was expected to show one A330 delivered in August, out of a total of 57 aircraft delivered that month, according to the person familiar with the matter.
The quality issue involved a tool found inside the aircraft's structure, the person said. Bloomberg News first reported the quality failure and resulting delays.
Airbus initiated inspections of A330s in production following the discovery, which prompted the temporary slowdown in monthly delivery rates during the summer months. The manufacturer subsequently identified and addressed the root cause of the problem, allowing production to resume normal pace.