Cracks in some A380s no threat: Qantas

Cracks found in the wing ribs of some A380 jets do not pose a threat to passengers travelling on the superjumbos, Qantas says.

Cracks just under a centimetre long have been found in a Qantas A380 that was being repaired in Singapore.

They have also been found in a small number of Singapore Airlines A380s.

In late 2010 a Qantas A380 named the Nancy-Bird Walton was forced to make an emergency landing in Singapore after a mid-air engine explosion.

Qantas says the cracks are unrelated to the engine failure.

“No immediate action is required by A380 operators because the cracking presents no risk whatsoever to flight safety,” a Qantas spokeswoman said in a statement on Friday.

Qantas is now checking the rest of its fleet and repairing any damage found.

The maker of the A380s, European based Airbus, has advised the problems are not sufficient to ground the aircraft.

Airlines worldwide have been informed about the issue, and ordered to check their aircraft regularly for cracking and other maintenance issues.

“Formal guidance is being developed by Airbus that is likely to require A380 operators to inspect wing ribs for this type of cracking every four years,” Qantas said in its statement.

The airline said it would fully comply with the guidance once it was published.

Singapore Airlines confirmed on Thursday that a number of small cracks had been found in its A380s during an investigation in the second half of 2011, Fairfax media reported.

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