The head of Airbus has admitted that the discovery of wing cracks on the European aircraft maker’s flagship A380 superjumbo is “embarrassing”, as regulators ordered urgent inspections of almost one third of the jets currently in commercial service.
The European Aviation Safety Agency on Friday told airlines to inspect 20 A380s for cracks on wing components.
Tom Enders, chief executive of Airbus, said he was “not proud” about the discovery of the cracks on wing parts called rib feet, but insisted the A380 was safe to fly.
He told CNN: “This is to a certain extent embarrassing, yes, but we will do everything to make sure safety is not compromised and repair damaged rib feet for the customers.”
Cracks on A380 wing components were first identified last October on a superjumbo operated by Qantas, the Australian flag-carrier. It is the same Qantas’ A380 that suffered an engine failure and made an emergency landing in November 2010.
The EASA issued an air worthiness directive on Friday that requires inspections of 20 A380s that have done more take-off and landings than the other 48 superjumbos in commercial service.
The 20 A380s are operated by Singapore Airlines, Emirates Airline and Air France-KLM, said one person briefed on the matter. Other carriers operating the A380 are China Southern Airlines, Lufthansa, and Korean Air.
The EASA is concerned that some of the cracks in the metal wing components may have been caused by fatigue.
An Airbus spokesman, however, said the cracks were the result of a combination of issues, including the design of the wing components and their construction from aluminium alloy. He added the way the components had been installed at the A380 wing assembly factory in Broughton, England, had also contributed to the cracks.
Two types of cracks have been identified on an L-shaped bracket that connects the wing skin of the A380 to its internal structure.
Initial cracks were found around bolt holes on the wing bracket during inspections of five A380s. Subsequently, different cracks were found elsewhere on the wing bracket of two A380s.
The EASA said the second form of cracking was “more significant” than the original one. “This condition, if not detected and corrected, could potentially affect the structural integrity of the aeroplane,” added EASA.
The engine failure on the Qantas A380 in 2010 prompted the Australian airline to temporarily ground its superjumbos.
Rolls-Royce, maker of the Trent 900 engine on the Qantas A380, reached an out-of-court settlement with the Australian airline last year. Qantas said the settlement would add A$95m to its 2011 pre-tax profit.
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