Singapore Airlines Ltd. (C6L.SG) and Qantas Airways Ltd. (QAN.AU) will inspect the Airbus A380 aircraft in their fleets after fresh damage was discovered on structural components inside the wings of the world's biggest passenger aircraft.
"We are liaising closely with Airbus and will be carrying out precautionary inspections as required. Checks will begin this morning on one aircraft," Singapore Airlines spokesman Nicholas Ionides said in an email Friday. "As Airbus has emphasised, the cracks do not affect the safe operation of the aircraft."
European air-safety regulators are poised to mandate enhanced inspections in the wake of new cracks found on an A380, according to government and industry officials, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
The European Aviation Safety Agency directive, which is likely to come later Friday, marks the second time in recent months that industry and government officials have focused on cracks inside A380 wings.
"Qantas is developing an inspection program for its A380s in consultation with Airbus," a company spokesman said. "If the European regulator issues an airworthiness directive and it applies to Qantas, we will comply fully."
The second discovery of cracks in wing components in a month may shake customer confidence in the A380 manufactured by Airbus, a unit of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. EADS N.V. (EADSY). Earlier this month, Airbus had asked operators to check for small cracks in wing rib-skin attachments of the super jumbo. The manufacturer, which Thursday confirmed the discovery of the cracks, insists the A380 remains safe.
All the cracks are in L-shaped brackets that attach the wings' metal skin to structural ribs inside, said Airbus spokesman Stefan Schaffrath. He said Airbus has already established an inspection and repair program with EASA to address the first category of cracks.
Airbus didn't name the airlines whose planes have been affected nor give the number of planes on which the new cracks were found.
The spokesman for EASA said the agency, a division of the European Union, is in talks with Airbus about the issue. Regulators from other countries are expected to follow EASA's lead.
Earlier, cracks were found in the wing brackets during inspections of a Qantas A380 that suffered a midair engine blowout after takeoff from Singapore in November 2010. Subsequent inspections found similar cracks in other aircraft, including two operated by Singapore Airlines.
Singapore Airlines will keep relevant regulatory authorities fully informed about its investigations, Ionides said. Singapore Airlines operates 14 Airbus A380s and has five more on order, while Qantas has 11 jets from an order for 20.
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