EASA Orders Inspections of 16 Airbus A380s After Wing Cracks Discovered
Airbus will inspect 16 jets, with five Emirates aircraft needing checks before the next flight and repairs required if cracks are confirmed.
- The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued an emergency airworthiness directive on Tuesday requiring immediate inspections of specific Airbus A380s after detecting cracks in internal wing spars that could reduce structural integrity.
- Five aircraft require immediate inspection after Airbus determined that additional special detailed checks were necessary to address potential unsafe conditions in the wing structure.
- The affected Qantas A380 registered VH-OQI is currently in Dresden for heavy maintenance. A Qantas spokesman said there was "no impact to Qantas flights" from the airworthiness directive.
- Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority backed the move, publishing an urgent airworthiness directive for local airlines since all European Emergency Airworthiness Directives automatically apply to Australian registered aircraft.
- One Australian expert described the detected cracks as "serious enough if they've brought out an emergency airworthiness directive." Airbus previously inspected A380s for wing-spar cracking, particularly in planes stored during COVID-19.
74 Articles
74 Articles
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus must inspect 16 A380 models, nicknamed the "superjumbo," after cracks were found in the wing spar of the version of the plane operated by Emirates and Qantas, the British newspaper The Guardian reported.
16 Airbus A380 will undergo inspections, 5 of which are urgent, following the discovery of cracks on an aircraft by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The aircraft concerned are operated by Emirates (United Arab Emirates) and Qantas (Australia).
The Airbus A380 is the largest passenger aircraft in the world and a difficult legacy for many airlines due to the high maintenance effort. Now 16 machines have to be checked due to possible cracks on the wings.
Sixteen planes are subject to inspection, and these damage "may affect the structural integrity of the wing" of the aircraft.
Airbus checks 16 aircraft of the A380 type after cracks in the wings were detected on aircraft of the Emirates and Qantas airlines.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 38% of the sources are Center, 37% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
