Multiple Airbus A380 planes to be grounded for urgent inspections after cracks found in wings
Summary
Airbus will inspect 16 A380 planes after cracks were found in a key wing part on planes used by Emirates and Qantas. The European safety agency, EASA, has ordered urgent checks to make sure the wings are safe to fly.Key Facts
- Cracks were found in the wing-spar, a main structural beam in the wing.
- 16 A380 airplanes will be inspected; 15 belong to Emirates and 1 to Qantas.
- Five Emirates planes will be checked immediately, starting as soon as Wednesday.
- Airlines flying the A380 include Emirates, Qantas, British Airways, Lufthansa, and others.
- The wing-spar carries much of the load during flight, so cracks could reduce safety.
- The inspections were ordered by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
- Airbus will talk with EASA about possible repairs after the inspections.
- Some inspections can wait until the plane has completed 25 flight cycles (takeoff and landing).
- The A380 had earlier wing problems in 2012, which led to fleet-wide inspections and fixes.
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