Overview
- The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued an emergency airworthiness directive on June 22 targeting 16 A380s after inspections found cracks in internal wing mid‑spars; 15 are operated by Emirates and one by Qantas.
- Five Emirates aircraft must be inspected and cleared before carrying passengers again, while the other 11 must be checked within 25 flight cycles and may conduct limited non‑revenue ferry flights to maintenance sites.
- Airbus has produced a special detailed inspection program for the mid‑spars and told operators to report findings within seven days, with any planes showing structural discrepancies to be repaired before returning to service.
- Qantas’ single affected A380 (VH‑OQI) is in heavy maintenance in Dresden and the airline says there is no impact to its flight schedule; Australia’s CASA has circulated EASA’s directive to local operators.
- The A380 has faced earlier wing cracking issues in 2012 and 2019, inspections of mid‑spars require internal access through the wing box and regulators say wider action could follow depending on the results of this targeted sweep.