Europe's aviation regulator, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), has ordered urgent inspections of 16 Airbus A380 aircraft operated by Emirates and Qantas after cracks were discovered in wing structural components.
Five of the double-decker aircraft must be inspected before their next flight, while the remaining 11 must undergo checks within 25 flight cycles, according to EASA's airworthiness directive, which took effect on Wednesday.
The wing cracks could affect the stability of the aircraft's wings, the directive said. Airbus said it considered an additional, detailed inspection necessary to address the potential safety risk.
The industry portal Aerospace Global News said 15 of the 16 jets are operated by Dubai-based Emirates, with the remaining aircraft belonging to Australian carrier Qantas. Emirates operates by far the world's largest A380 fleet.
Airbus halted production of the world’s biggest passenger jet in 2021 due to a lack of new orders.
