Airbus Investigating Corrosion Issues On A220 Jetliner

Dhaka: Airbus has been reportedly investigating corrosion issues on some units of the Airbus A220 aircraft. However, the issue doesn't concern any safety-critical structure that could impact the airliner's airworthiness.

Several media reports have emerged that corrosion has been detected on certain components of some Airbus A220 aircraft.

The affected components are passenger seat fittings and wing-to-body fairing, a structure that reduces drag to improve aerodynamics but is not essential for the airframe's structural integrity. So the issue isn't likely to pose any safety threat, and the Airbus A220 remains airworthy.

Airbus has initiated an investigation and has scheduled regular maintenance checks to find and fix the issue as part of the investigation. It has also informed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to address airlines of the issue.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, the largest Airbus A220 operator, has stated that it had encountered corrosion at some passenger seat fittings and fixed it with lubrication. Delta's technical experts confirmed the issue doesn't pose any major threat, and the airline is operating regular flights with the A220.

Back in 2021, Transport Canada had issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) concerning corrosion and the application of insufficient grease to slat tracks during production. But the AD didn't address the current issues regarding corrosion.

The Airbus A220, which was initially named the CSeries program, was launched by Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier in July 2008, and Swiss International Air Lines introduced the type in July 2016. Later in July 2018, Airbus acquired a larger share of the program and rebranded it as Airbus A220.

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