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.
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Airbus is preparing to inspect 16 A380 aircraft after cracks were discovered in critical wing components, with five requiring immediate inspection.
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).
Of these, 15 are operated by Emirates, while an aircraft belongs to Qantas Airways
EASA demands 16 A380s urgently inspected over wing cracks
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has demanded that 16 Airbus A380 aircraft are urgently inspected, including five that must be checked before flying commercially again. On June 22, 2026, EASA issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (2026-0119-E) calling for wing mid spars inspections of 15 A380s operated by Emirates and one by Qantas. The aviation regulator said the new directive followed a previous order (2025-0280) that highlight…
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.
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