A380 fleet to be checked for wing cracks

European safety regulators have ordered inspections of the entire fleet of A380 superjumbos after initial checks revealed cracks inside the wings.

» Actual | Thursday, February 09, 2012 • The Telegraph

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said on Thursday night it was "working closely" with manufacturer Airbus to ensure the "safe operations" of the A380 and that a long-term fix should be revealed by the summer.

However, Australian airline Qantas has grounded one of its A380s for a week. It found 36 hairline cracks on the aircraft after it travelled through heavy turbulence.

Airbus, the manufacturer of the plane, insists the A380 is still safe to fly and has issued airlines with instructions of how to repair the fault.

The wings for the A380 are made at the company's British factory in Broughton, Wales.

The faults were first spotted during checks of the Qantas plane that suffered an engine blow-out in 2010.

The cracks have been discovered in an L–shaped bracket that connects the wing's exterior to the internal "rib" structure. Airbus says they are a manufacturing issue.

Last month, EASA ordered checks on the 20 most heavily used A380s. This revealed cracks in most of the aircraft and prompted the new directive yesterday. EASA says all 68 A380s in service must undergo a detailed inspections using high-frequency electrical currents.

British Airway has ordered 12 A380s and delivery begins next year.

Tags: British Airway, Airbus A380, European Aviation Safety Agency,

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