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7 January 2012 Last updated at 02:41 GMT
Aircraft engineers in Australia have called for the entire worldwide fleet of Airbus A-380 super-jumbos to be grounded after cracks were found in some wings. The faults were discovered in planes operated by Qantas Airways and Singapore Airlines. Airbus say they have found the cause of the problem and insist the planes are safe, as Tim Allman reports.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16452878
In another report earlier, it was reported that SIA and Qantas found cracks in the wing ribs of the A380.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/07/uk-singaporeairlines-a-idUSLNE80600G20120107
Singapore Air, Qantas say cracks found in Airbus A380 wings
SINGAPORE/SYDNEY | Fri Jan 6, 2012 10:27pm EST
(Reuters) - Singapore Airlines (SIA.L) (SIAL.SI) and Qantas Airways (QAN.AX) said on Friday they discovered cracks on the wing ribs of their Airbus A380s, but said the cracks pose no threat to safety and repairs have been carried out.
The remarks came after Airbus (EAD.PA) said on Thursday that engineers discovered minor cracks in the wings of a "limited number" of A380s, but said the cracks were not affecting the safety of the aircraft.
"Cracks were found on a small number of wing rib feet on an Airbus A380 during inspections in the second half of last year. These pose no safety issue and repairs were carried out on the aircraft," SIA's spokesman Nicholas Ionides said in an email to Reuters.
"Repairs were subsequently carried out on a second aircraft. We have kept the relevant regulatory authorities fully informed and will be carrying out inspections and any necessary repairs on other A380s as they go in for routine checks," he added.
Qantas (QAN.AX) separately said that "minuscule cracking" was found in the wing ribs of the Qantas A380 being repaired in Singapore after one of its Rolls-Royce (RR.L) Trent 900 engines suffered a mid-air blowout in 2010.
"Investigations have found that the cracking is unrelated to the engine failure incident experienced by this aircraft in November 2010 and is not unique to Qantas. It has now been repaired," the carrier said in a statement.
"No immediate action is required by A380 operators because the cracking presents no risk whatsoever to flight safety," Qantas said.
Airbus said it has traced the origin of the problem and developed an inspection and repair procedure that will be done during routine, scheduled four-year maintenance checks. SIA, the world's second-biggest carrier by market value and the first operator of such aircraft, operates 14 A380s and has five on order, while Qantas has taken delivery of 10 of its 20 A380 aircraft on order, according to the airline's website.
Both Singapore Airlines and Qantas are using Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines on their A380 fleets.
Sidenote:
There are now 67 A380's operating around the world. However, both airlines -- along with Airbus -- insist that the cracks pose no safety threat and that repairs have been made.
Question: Then why is Qantas engineers now saying exactly the opposite? See top of this page.
Aircraft engineers in Australia have called for the entire worldwide fleet of Airbus A-380 super-jumbos to be grounded after cracks were found in some wings. The faults were discovered in planes operated by Qantas Airways and Singapore Airlines. Airbus say they have found the cause of the problem and insist the planes are safe, as Tim Allman reports.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16452878
In another report earlier, it was reported that SIA and Qantas found cracks in the wing ribs of the A380.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/07/uk-singaporeairlines-a-idUSLNE80600G20120107
Singapore Air, Qantas say cracks found in Airbus A380 wings
SINGAPORE/SYDNEY | Fri Jan 6, 2012 10:27pm EST
(Reuters) - Singapore Airlines (SIA.L) (SIAL.SI) and Qantas Airways (QAN.AX) said on Friday they discovered cracks on the wing ribs of their Airbus A380s, but said the cracks pose no threat to safety and repairs have been carried out.
The remarks came after Airbus (EAD.PA) said on Thursday that engineers discovered minor cracks in the wings of a "limited number" of A380s, but said the cracks were not affecting the safety of the aircraft.
"Cracks were found on a small number of wing rib feet on an Airbus A380 during inspections in the second half of last year. These pose no safety issue and repairs were carried out on the aircraft," SIA's spokesman Nicholas Ionides said in an email to Reuters.
"Repairs were subsequently carried out on a second aircraft. We have kept the relevant regulatory authorities fully informed and will be carrying out inspections and any necessary repairs on other A380s as they go in for routine checks," he added.
Qantas (QAN.AX) separately said that "minuscule cracking" was found in the wing ribs of the Qantas A380 being repaired in Singapore after one of its Rolls-Royce (RR.L) Trent 900 engines suffered a mid-air blowout in 2010.
"Investigations have found that the cracking is unrelated to the engine failure incident experienced by this aircraft in November 2010 and is not unique to Qantas. It has now been repaired," the carrier said in a statement.
"No immediate action is required by A380 operators because the cracking presents no risk whatsoever to flight safety," Qantas said.
Airbus said it has traced the origin of the problem and developed an inspection and repair procedure that will be done during routine, scheduled four-year maintenance checks. SIA, the world's second-biggest carrier by market value and the first operator of such aircraft, operates 14 A380s and has five on order, while Qantas has taken delivery of 10 of its 20 A380 aircraft on order, according to the airline's website.
Both Singapore Airlines and Qantas are using Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines on their A380 fleets.
Sidenote:
The European plane maker has confirmed that the cracks have been found in various parts of the wing rib attachments of five superjumbos – one belonging to Qantas, two to Singapore Airlines, one to Emirates and one of Airbus's development aircraft.
Less than a centimetre in length, the cracks were found on the L-shaped feet of the wing ribs. The feet attach the rib – a vertical fixture – to the cover of the wing.
Airbus engineers first discovered the problem during repair work to a Qantas A380 – the airline's first one – which has been in Singapore since it suffered an engine failure over Indonesia's Batam island in 2010, according to the Journal.Less than a centimetre in length, the cracks were found on the L-shaped feet of the wing ribs. The feet attach the rib – a vertical fixture – to the cover of the wing.
There are now 67 A380's operating around the world. However, both airlines -- along with Airbus -- insist that the cracks pose no safety threat and that repairs have been made.
Question: Then why is Qantas engineers now saying exactly the opposite? See top of this page.
