Aircraft engineers have accused Airbus of adopting a ''Band-Aid fix'' after tiny cracks were discovered in the wings of all five of the superjumbos that have been inspected for the problem during heavy maintenance.
Airbus has given assurances that its flagship aircraft - the largest passenger jets in the world - are safe to fly and it will be directing airlines, including Qantas, to check for small cracks in the feet of wing-rib attachments when their superjumbos are due for heavy maintenance every four years.
'There is no way on God's earth that I would be waiting four years to inspect them,'' said the federal president of the engineers' union, Paul Cousins. "At the moment it seems that a Band-Aid fix has been applied too quickly to a situation that could become very serious." Full story
Related:
Singapore Airlines says A380 wing cracks repaired - USA Today
Cracks found on A380 wing parts called 'non-critical' - USA Today
Singapore Air, Qantas Repair ‘Small Cracks’ in Airbus A380 Wings - BusinessWeek
Qantas, SIA say no risk after cracks found in A380 wings - The Malaysian Insider
