Airbus - Wing cracks: Airbus expects to solve A380 problem by year's end - not considered safety hazzard

Airbus expects to have a permanent solution for tiny cracks in the wings of its A380 superjumbo jets by the end of the year and repairs completed by the end of 2013, a spokesman says.

The company is currently carrying out temporary repairs to the micro cracks found in the wings of some 17 of the aircraft last year.

At the same time the company is looking to come up with a permanent solution to the problem, which has been traced to a small number of faulty brackets among the thousands that hold the wing's skin to the structure.

Airbus has insisted that the cracks do not pose a safety risk, and envisages that the repairs can be made in 2013 when the aircraft undergo regular servicing.


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3 airlines ground Super Jumbo A380s after engine blowout

Three airlines suspended flights of Airbus A380 double-decker superjumbo jetliners Thursday after an engine on a Qantas plane blew apart shortly after takeoff from Singapore.

Debris fell on an Indonesian island, and the plane, with 459 people aboard, spent 90 minutes circling with its three remaining engines, dumping fuel and preparing for an emergency landing back in Singapore. The episode ended with passengers cheering and praising the flight crew for maintaining calm. There were no reported injuries.

Justin Dubon, an Airbus spokesman in France, said it was the first uncontained engine failure and the most serious problem experienced by the A380, which entered service in 2007. Such a failure is rare and occurs when components fly off the main engine housing, often with explosive force.

The 20 operated by Qantas, Singapore and Lufthansa all use the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine. Seventeen others operated by Air France and Emirates use a different engine.

For more: Travel | 3 airlines ground A380s after engine blowout | Seattle Times Newspaper