Europe’s air safety chiefs have ordered all Airbus A380s to be checked after cracks were found in the wings of Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Air France planes during inspections last month.
In view of the outcome of those checks, the European Aviation Safety Agency has ordered all 67 superjumbos in service to be examined.
The aircraft will not be taken out of service, however. The inspectations will take place gradually, according to a report in The Times.
Qantas has grounded one A380 – for approximately a week – after a maintenance inspection revealed dozens of tiny cracks in its wings, similar to those Airbus found in metal brackets inside the wings of two A380s last month.
Airbus insist the cracks are a minor issue and pose no threat to passenger safety.
By Linsey McNeill
