A380 vingesprekker - EASA ønsker grundigere sjekk av alle flyene

Airbus A380 Fleet Needs Full Inspection of Wings Amid Cracks

February 09, 2012, 2:13 AM EST

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By Andrea Rothman and Steve Rothwell

Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Airlines were ordered to inspect all operating Airbus SAS A380 aircraft, as Europe’s air safety regulator escalates required checks after the wings of the double-decker superjumbo developed cracks.

The directive by the European Aviation Safety Agency addresses all 68 A380s in operation, after the watchdog had initially targeted only the 20 most heavily used airliners in a previous request. Carriers must report their inspections to Airbus, which said the plane remains safe to fly.

The hairline cracks stem from an assembly process that Airbus has said it knows how to fix. The company is seeking to protect the reputation of its flagship aircraft, whose popularity with passengers has yet to translate into profitability for the manufacturer. Singapore Airlines Inc., the first operator of the aircraft in 2007, said it’s repaired most of the 10 jets in its fleet and put them back into service. Foto: Per Gram