Airbus A380 aircraft operated by Emirates airline and Qantas will undergo urgent inspections by the European aircraft manufacturer after cracks were discovered in key wing structures.
The EU Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) has issued an emergency airworthiness directive, ordering inspections of 16 superjumbo aircraft in total, 15 of which are operated by Emirates.
The aviation safety agency said cracks found on certain aircraft could reduce the structural strength of the wing if left undetected.
For Emirates, the inspections will commence “within the next 48 hours”, an airline representative told The National on Tuesday, adding that any work required will be “carried out before releasing aircraft to service”.
“Emirates will comply and carry out the inspections required in accordance with the airworthiness directive. We remain in close contact with Airbus and the relevant authorities to minimise any disruption to the operating schedule,” the Emirates representative said.
The Dubai-based airline operates the largest A380 fleet in the world, with 116 superjumbos in its fleet, which is more than half of all active A380 jets flying today.
While five A380s are required to undergo immediate inspections, the remaining 11 will be checked within 25 flight cycles, with repairs directed by Airbus, according to the Easa. Results must be reported within seven days with likely further actions to follow, it said.
Past issues
The A380 has faced wing-related issues in the past as well, prompting regulators to mandate inspections in 2012 and again in later years as aircraft aged and accumulated flight hours. The latest directive focuses on wing mid spars – the primary structural beams of an aircraft wing, running lengthwise from the fuselage to the wingtip – a different area from some of the wing structures targeted in previous inspections.
In May, Emirates debuted its first retrofitted two-class A380 with Premium Economy cabin. The airline began introducing its refurbished A380s in 2023, featuring four cabin classes including first class, with refreshed interiors and premium economy cabins on the aircraft deployed on Dubai to London Heathrow route.
It was part of the airline’s multibillion-dollar retrofit programme, the largest of its kind in aviation history. By the end of the year, 15 of the airline’s two-class A380 aircraft are expected to undergo the conversion.
