European aircraft maker Airbus SE would ask airlines operating 25 of its oldest A380 super-jumbo jets to inspect their wings after cracks were found in some models, the EU’s Aviation Safety Agency said.
The agency said in an airworthiness directive dated Friday that “occurrences have been reported of finding cracks” in certain parts of the wing on in-service A380 airplanes.
“This condition, if not detected and corrected, could reduce the structural integrity of the wing,” the agency said.
“To address this potential unsafe condition, Airbus plans to issue the SB [service bulletin] to provide inspection instructions,” it said.
The directive does not yet ground any aircraft.
The French daily Les Echos reported that the agency, which is based in Germany, advised ultrasonic testing on 25 of the 234 A380 aircraft in operation, notably those built more than 15 years ago.
“This airworthiness directive is considered an interim action, limited to the 25 oldest wing sets,” the agency said.
“Based on inspection findings, further AD [airworthiness directive] action may follow to address additional in-service airplanes,” it added.
It is not first time that the A380, the world’s biggest passenger aircraft, has experienced such problems.
A wing-crack debacle in 2012 cost Airbus millions of euros in repair and service costs.
In an e-mailed statement, Airbus said that “airworthiness directives are standard in aviation and demonstrate the regulatory process working well.”
“Aviation is one of the most regulated of any sectors. Safety is the top priority in aviation,” it said.
Airbus in February announced that it would stop building the A380, a double-decker jet that earned plaudits from passengers, but failed to win over enough airlines to justify its massive costs.
US planemaker Boeing Co is still reeling from the grounding of its 737 MAX whose automatic flight handling software was seen as a factor in two crashes involving Ethiopian Airlines and Indonesia’s Lion Air.
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