A Spanish supplier, responsible for the poor quality of Airbus SE's most popular aircraft, is accused by a local trade union of more widespread production problems, according to a letter sent to the aircraft manufacturer's CEO, UNN reports with reference to Bloomberg.
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The Spanish trade union UGT FICA Sevilla stated that Sofitec Aero SL falsified dates at several stages of the production process to make parts meet Airbus specifications, according to the union's December 5 letter, which was reviewed by Bloomberg News.
In a memo to CEO Guillaume Faury, the union revealed a number of other instances of poor quality found at Seville-based Sofitec, including the use of expired paints and sealants, and unauthorized repairs to carbon fiber parts. According to the union, these facts were reported by the employees themselves.
Airbus said it could not comment on specific union claims.
"We always maintain an open channel of communication with all participants in the supply chain. While we cannot confirm or comment on this specific claim, we have taken steps to address it as soon as it was identified during our internal quality control procedure," the company said in an email.
Sofitec did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
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The accusations are made against the supplier of the most popular Airbus A320 model. Quality defects in panels produced by Sofitec forced the aircraft manufacturer to cut the planned 2025 delivery deadline due to the volume of necessary inspections. In its letter, the union did not mention quality deficiencies that could have led to panel problems.
This week, Airbus announced that it had found panels supplied by Sofitec in the front of its A320 that were either too thick or too thin and required additional inspections.
In total, more than 600 aircraft, some of which are already in service, must undergo inspections.