A family of raccoons recently broke into an Airbus factory in Canada, adding an unusual headache to the planemaker’s more familiar troubles with parts shortages and supply chain snags.
Five of the baby mammals were found inside the plant near Montreal, which produces A220 airliners, sources told Reuters, after their mother was spotted climbing the landing gear of a jet being produced for a European airline.
“A guy came face to face with the raccoon, after having entered the plane,” a factory worker said.
A second source said damage included urine and chewed wires.
Workers on the overstretched assembly line had to be pulled off normal jobs to undertake the time-consuming task of quarantining the first jet and inspecting for damage from the furry intruders, which are known for foraging in trash cans for food.
Airbus confirmed the discovery of a family of raccoons on one plane but declined to say whether they had further delayed production or caused any damage.
“The aircraft is pursuing its assembly process,” a spokesperson said, adding measures had been put in place to ensure safety and quality.
While the incident is only a temporary headache, it comes as Airbus is scrambling to speed up production, having warned airlines that it faces another three years of delivery delays as it works through a backlog of supply-chain problems.
Recent snags include missing engines, late arrivals of components and delayed interiors, Airbus has said. But rarely have its contingency plans had to deal with stray omnivores at the rural plant.
“We had to open everything back up to inspect,” explained the second source.
Airbus said the animals had been removed to a safe location.