Aircraft maintenance: a one-of-a-kind repair

What did it take to get a severely damaged Austrian Airlines A320neo successfully back into service? Find out how Airbus’ Customer Care experts and the airline's own maintenance teams worked together to complete an unprecedented, highly complex repair.

To celebrate World Maintenance Day, we’re delving into the world of aircraft maintenance. Every day, skilled specialists around the globe contribute to aviation safety, whether through inspection, overhaul or repair.

Among their number are Airbus’ Working Parties: highly specialised, mobile expert teams. The story of how one Working Party helped return a damaged A320neo safely to service shows just how closely Airbus and its customers cooperate whenever grounding incidents arise.

Planning every step

When it comes to aircraft maintenance, repairing structural damage or replacing a part requires coordination and often, original thinking. Safety always comes first and in these situations, Airbus can assemble a  ‘Working Party’. 

A Working Party comprises many specialists. There are  engineers who understand the aircraft's design and repair procedures; skilled technicians who perform the work; inspectors who ensure everything meets stringent safety standards; and representatives from the airline or aircraft owner. Airbus has eight Working Party bases around the world staffed by some 230 expert personnel to ensure quick and efficient aircraft support.

No two Working Parties are the same. The project, the problem to solve and the location change all the time, just like the composition of the team. This makes it a rewarding challenge for anyone lucky enough to jump on board. 

The team plans every step of the repair, from initial query to release of the aircraft. They ensure the correct parts and tools are available, executing the work with precision and meticulously documenting everything. And thanks to their connections to Airbus’ production organisation, they can even set up a small-scale logistics centre at the repair site.

More rebuild than repair 

One such Working Party has successfully repaired an A320neo, registration OE-LZQ, in partnership with the aircraft’s owner Austrian Airlines. In April 2024, just months after OE-LZQ had entered service, its rear section was severely damaged in a collision with an airbridge at Vienna airport. In addition, the right aileron was damaged after it came into contact with a light pole.

The aircraft had no passengers at the time, and no one was injured. Nonetheless, it was a major incident which attracted media interest. Austrian had made no secret of its intention to deploy the new aircraft on busy routes such as Vienna-London. Speculation grew as to whether it could be recovered, and what impact its absence from the fleet would have on the airline’s schedule. 

At Austrian Airlines’ invitation, the Airbus Working Party  team set up shop in Vienna in November 2024. Their first job was to inspect OE-LZQ together with Austrian Technik, in order to establish whether it could be repaired at all. 

After an extensive evaluation, the answer was yes. Nonetheless, the aircraft’s horizontal stabiliser, right aileron and rear pressure bulkhead would have to be replaced. All in all, it was more of a rebuild than a repair.

The task was so complex that it would require sending a team of 30 Airbus specialists from eight different functions to Vienna, for as long as it took to carry out the fix. The job would require new tooling, new parts and even a mini-final assembly line.

Once everything was in place, the Airbus team and their new Austrian colleagues began to prepare for the many hours of work ahead. 

 Upholding the highest safety standards

Three months later the repair was complete, the new rear section was painted in Austrian’s red and white livery and the aircraft had been put through flight testing. OE-LZQ returned to service in March 2025, in time for Austrian’s summer schedule. The aircraft was even handed over to its owner a few days ahead of schedule. 

The story of OE-LZQ stresses the importance of aircraft maintenance and the discipline, rigour and expertise of its practitioners. Around the world and around the clock, they uphold the highest aviation safety standards. Happy Maintenance Day, we salute you!  

Want to know more about this unique repair? Check out Austrian Airlines’ vlog, which tracks the project from start to finish.