Airlines stop selling last rows on Airbus 320neos over safety concerns

MULTIPLE AIRLINES ARE NOW blocking the rear rows of the Airbus A320neo. This is due to an airworthiness directive (AD) issued by European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA which has limited the aircraft’s centre of gravity envelope.

British Airways, German flagship carrier, Lufthansa are among airlines that have stopped selling the last rows on their A320neo planes.

Lufthansa had stopped selling the last row of seats in its Airbus A320neos due to concerns over the aircraft’s centre of gravity limitations. Now, Head for Points has exclusively revealed that British Airways has also begun blocking the rear rows of seats onboard its Airbus A320neo aircraft. EASA notes that the conditions triggering its AD have “never (been) encountered during operations”.

Centre of gravity is an average of where an aircraft’s weight is located. If more weight is placed at the front of the aircraft, the centre of gravity will move forward. Move the weight towards the back of the aircraft, and the centre of gravity moves with it.

Depending on where the centre of gravity is located, it is possible that the handling of the aircraft can change. As such, aircraft manufacturers produce an “envelope” of the acceptable centre of gravity (COG). If the COG exits this envelope, the aircraft may not handle as expected. This is important for all aircraft

According to EASA’s airworthiness directive 2019-0189, analysis of the behaviour and flight control laws of the A320neo discovered “a reduced efficiency of the angle of attack protection when the aeroplane is set in certain flight configurations”. As a result, Airbus has restricted the COG envelope with an Aircraft Flight Manual Temporary Revision.

The revision has led to some A320neo operators needing to block off the rear rows of the aircraft. Lufthansa previously told us “row 32 will therefore no longer be assigned to passengers – not even to staff travelling with ID tickets.”

This is as “there will now be a restriction of the rear centre of gravity limit, by up to four percent depending on the weight of the aircraft.”

On Friday, Head for Points reported that British Airways was now blocking the rear rows onboard the Airbus A320neo.