Maintenance and Modifications
EASA Orders Airbus A380 Wing Inspections
Wing cracks in A380s prompts AD
An A380 wing moves into position at Airbus’s Broughton, UK factory. Inspections have revealed wing-rib cracks on some in-service aircraft. (Photo: Airbus)
An A380 wing moves into position at Airbus’s Broughton, UK factory. Inspections have revealed wing-rib cracks on some in-service aircraft. (Photo: Airbus)

In what stands as approximately the 40th airworthiness directive (AD) affecting the Airbus A380, the EASA mandated inspections and possibly repairs on the double-decker’s wing rib feet last Friday after operators found cracks on several aircraft. The AD applies to 20 of the 68 A380s in service. The EASA directive concerns “structural integrity,” but Airbus insists the cracks “do not affect the safe operation of the aircraft.”