European aircraft manufacturer Airbus conducted extensive inspections on A330neo aircraft in production after a tool was left inside the tail section of a passenger aircraft. The incident caused disruptions to the company’s widebody aircraft deliveries for approximately three months.
During pre-delivery inspections, a foreign object was discovered inside the horizontal stabilizer of an A330neo aircraft. Further investigations revealed that the object was a tool left behind during the manufacturing process.
Following the discovery, Airbus subjected A330 aircraft on its production line to additional inspections. As a result, the company delivered no A330 aircraft in June or July 2026 and managed to deliver only one aircraft in August.
In a statement issued on September 3, Airbus confirmed that the issue was an isolated quality problem, that its root cause had been identified, and that aircraft deliveries had resumed.
Meanwhile, inspections of aircraft already delivered to airlines were also recommended. A total of 139 A330neo aircraft delivered between 2021 and May 2026 are expected to undergo foreign object inspections during routine maintenance.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is expected to clarify in November 2026 whether these inspections will become mandatory.
