The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published an urgent airworthiness directive ordering operators of several Airbus A380s to carry out specific additional inspections on wing structures, after detecting possible cracks that could affect the aircraft's strength.
"It has been determined that the cracks found in certain aircraft could reduce the structural integrity of the wing," warns the regulatory agency in the document published on June 22.
In response to this potential safety issue, the European consortium Airbus has mandated a "detailed and complementary" review.
The instruction applies to a total of 16 aircraft in service worldwide, belonging to the A380-841, A380-842, and A380-861 variants. Of these, 15 units are part of the Emirates fleet, and the remaining aircraft is in the hands of Australian carrier Qantas Airways.
Strict Deadlines According to Risk Level
EASA has divided the affected aircraft into two groups, depending on the urgency with which the inspections must be carried out.
Group 1 (5 aircraft): Comprising manufacturer serial numbers (MSN) 190, 202, 203, 209, and 228. In these cases, the review must be completed before the next flight after the directive comes into effect, set for June 24.
However, a technical ferry flight (of up to 3 flight cycles, without passengers and outside ETOPS routes) is permitted solely to position the aircraft at an airport where the examination can be performed.
Group 2 (11 aircraft): Includes MSNs 30, 42, 55, 56, 105, 142, 184, 187, 208, 227, and 234. For these aircraft, a limit of 25 flight cycles from the effective date is established to complete the required inspection.
If any anomaly or discrepancy is detected during the review process, airlines must contact Airbus immediately to receive the relevant repair instructions before the aircraft returns to service. Additionally, airlines will have a maximum of 7 days after the inspection to submit all results to the manufacturer.
The European authority has specified that this directive is considered a "provisional action" and leaves open the possibility of introducing new safety measures later, once the received reports are analyzed.
Due to the risk assessment, the agency decided to proceed with its immediate publication and notification, omitting the usual prior consultation procedure.