The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ordered urgent inspections of 16 Airbus A380 aircraft after cracks were identified in a component of the wings of some planes. The cracks were found during previous inspections in the structure of the wing spars (wing spars), a fundamental component of the wing, EASA said in a directive that came into force this Wednesday, 24.
According to the agency, the cracks “may reduce the structural integrity of the wing”.
“To address this potential unsafe condition, Airbus has determined that an additional detailed special inspection must be carried out,” EASA stated.
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Five aircraft need to be inspected immediately, while the other 11 may undergo verification later, but within a period of up to 25 flight cycles.
Airbus said it is supporting the inspection process and will evaluate the results in conjunction with EASA to determine whether repairs will be necessary or whether the aircraft can return to commercial service.
A spokeswoman for Australian airline Qantas confirmed that one of its A380s will need to undergo additional inspections, but said the EASA directive will have no impact on the company’s operations.
“The aircraft was already undergoing scheduled maintenance and we will comply with any additional demands arising from this airworthiness directive,” the spokeswoman said.
Emirates, based in Dubai and the world’s largest A380 operator, said inspections of its aircraft will begin within the next 48 hours.
“Any necessary work will be carried out before the aircraft are released for operation. We remain in close contact with Airbus and the relevant authorities to minimize any disruption to the flight schedule,” said a company spokesperson.
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The A380 has faced wing-related issues before. In 2012, EASA also ordered inspections after discovering cracks in the aircraft’s wings. Source: Dow Jones Newswires.
