Toulouse (France) (AFP) – Airbus has announced it will inspect 16 of its A380 superjumbos, five of them immediately, after cracks were found in a key wing component on some of the jets used by Emirates and Qantas airlines. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ordered urgent inspections requiring airlines to examine the wing-spar structure on the affected jets after inspectors found cracks during routine maintenance checks, the plane maker said late Tuesday.
The cracks appeared in a structural beam that runs along the wing and carries much of the aerodynamic load of the massive double-decker planes during flight. Of the 16 planes to be inspected, 15 are operated by Emirates and one by Qantas. The five aircraft to be inspected immediately are flown by Emirates, and they were to undergo the process as soon as Wednesday. Airlines using the A380 include Emirates, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Korean Air, Etihad Airways, ANA, and Asiana Airlines.
Emirates operates the largest A380 fleet in the world, flying more than half of all active superjumbos, which Airbus quit making in 2021. “The inspections will begin in the coming 48 hours and all necessary works will be undertaken before the planes return to service,” Emirates said Wednesday. It said it would work closely with Airbus and the relevant authorities “to minimise any disruption to operating schedules.”
Cracks on an aircraft that “could reduce the structural integrity of the wing” were discovered during inspections ordered by EASA in a directive issued in December 2025, the European planemaker said. All A380s “with the same production history” have been identified, and Airbus will carry out immediate inspections on five aircraft. The Toulouse-based plane manufacturer will discuss with EASA whether repairs are necessary, an Airbus spokesperson said.
The 11 other aircraft can be inspected later, but before their thirteenth flight, that is, 25 cycles, with one cycle consisting of a flight, a takeoff, and a landing. The A380 has faced wing-related problems before. In 2012, the EASA ordered inspections after cracks were found in brackets linking the wing skin to internal ribs. That affected the entire global A380 fleet and led to a costly repair programme which Airbus addressed through design changes on planes produced later.
© 2024 AFP
