More cracks found in Airbus A380 wings

Airbus insisted its A380 superjumbo is safe to fly after another set of cracks was discovered in the wings of the worlds largest jetliner, though an engineering union said it was downplaying the issue and some Asian airlines said they would develop inspection programs . It is the second time in as many weeks that hairline cracks have surfaced inside the mammoth double-decker jet, which entered service four years ago, and their discovery is expected to lead to expanded safety checks. Airbus said the cracks were found on a number of 'non-critical' brackets inside the wings of two aircraft during routine two-year inspections, after similar flaws showed up in five aircraft in early January. It said the cracks did not prevent the A380 flying safely, but the Australian engineering body which handles routine servicing and engine checks on the superjumbos operated by Qantas Airways said Airbuss reaction was concerning. ' They (Airbus) have described these as tiny cracks, but every crack starts off as a tiny crack and they can grow very quickly ,' said Stephen Purvinas, Federal Secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association . ' I would be worried that Airbus arent taking seriously the ever increasing number of cracks being found in the wings of their A380 aircraft . Put it this way, I wouldnt put my family on an A380 at the moment ,' he said. Qantas said the latest cracks were not found in its fleet of 12 A380s. Airbus has dismissed calls to ground its superjumbo fleet over the cracks, which first came to light during repairs of a Qantas A380 damaged by an engine blowout shortly after taking off from Singapore in November 2010. 'It is embarrassing, but we will do everything to ensure safety is not compromised,' Chief Executive Tom Enders said. 'We have a pretty good understanding, but the investigation is ongoing. What we have developed already is a repair solution and this is what we will apply on the various aircraft if and where it is necessary,' he told CNN television.
20/01/12 Tim Hepher/Reuters/IBN Live

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Categories: Foreign Jan 2012, Safety Jan 2012