Eleven months ago, an Airbus A320neo of Austrian Airlines was involved in a remarkable nighttime incident. The aircraft sustained severe damage and was grounded for eleven months.
The extent of the damage became immediately clear upon inspection. During the night of April 6 to 7 last year, an unmanned Airbus A320neo, registered as OE-LZQ, rolled backward at Vienna Airport and collided with a passenger bridge. The impact completely broke off the right stabilizer, and the right wing was also severely damaged after hitting a pole. Since then, the aircraft had remained grounded.
The damage was so extensive that assistance from Airbus was necessary. Since the aircraft was no longer airworthy, it initially seemed that the A320neo’s operational history might come to an end. However, it was eventually determined that the ground handler’s liability insurance would cover the costs, making repairs possible.
Spectacular
Austrian Airlines’ Chief Operating Officer, Francesco Sciortino, described the operation as ‘a spectacular story’ in an interview with aeroTELEGRAPH in September, as Airbus would bring all the necessary equipment to Vienna to carry out the repairs on the A320neo
And spectacular it certainly was. The entire rear section of the Airbus was removed and replaced. ‘For this, special tools and lifting platforms had to be transported to Vienna, as Airbus had never performed such an operation outside its own production facilities. That made it so extraordinary,’ Sciortino stated.”
A recent photo has now surfaced.
The Airbus A320neo only needs a fresh coat of paint. However, Austrian Airlines will first conduct test flights, starting on March 17. The new paint will be applied in the last week of March. The aircraft is expected to be fully operational in time for the start of the summer season.