Airbus ordered to inspect some A380 jets over cracks in wings

Airbus SE

Yesterday 18:15

June 24 (Reuters) - Airbus AIR.PA said on Wednesday it was supporting inspections on a subset of A380 aircraft after Europe's aviation regulator ordered urgent checks on the jets’ wing structures.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published an emergency airworthiness directive on Monday requiring inspections of 16 A380 aircraft, warning about cracks found in wing spars that could affect structural integrity.
The directive requires five planes to be inspected before next flight, with the remaining ones to be checked within 25 flight cycles. 
Fifteen of the affected aircraft are operated by Emirates and one by Australia's Qantas QAN.AX, according to flight tracking service Flightradar24, based on the manufacturer serial numbers listed in the directive.
Emirates did not reply to a request for comment.
Airbus said it had identified a smaller group of aircraft with similar operating histories and was supporting inspections on those jets.
“Depending on the inspection results, Airbus will assess with EASA whether repairs are necessary or if the aircraft can return to commercial service,” a company spokesperson said.
EASA said cracks found on certain aircraft could reduce the structural integrity of the wing.
The A380, nicknamed "superjumbo", is the world’s largest passenger airliner. Airbus ended production of the jet in 2021 as demand for the model, introduced in 2007, waned.

 (Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro, Tim Hepher and Hugo Lhomedet; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
 ((gianluca.lonostro@thomsonreuters.com))