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Airbus to inspect planes following quality issues with metal panels.

The European aircraft manufacturer has announced it will inspect approximately 600 planes from the A320 range following the discovery of manufacturing defects in parts from a supplier.

Metal panels located at the front of the aircraft were found to be of the incorrect dimensions, either too thick or too thin.

Airbus has emphasised that flight safety is not compromised, and they are taking a precautionary approach to identify which aircraft require attention.

Of the 600 planes requiring checks, 168 are currently operating commercial flights.

Airbus stated that the cause of the issue has been identified and resolved with newly manufactured panels that meet quality standards.

The problem with metal panels came just days after over 6,000 Airbus aircraft required emergency software updates. This was due to an issue with flight computers when exposed to solar radiation that caused one plane to lose altitude suddenly, injuring 15 passengers. This led to widespread flight cancellations over the American Thanksgiving travel period.

Airbus shares have dropped by more than 6.5% over a five day period.