The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has ordered the inspection of 16 Airbus A380s, five of them on an urgent basis, following the discovery of cracks in the wing structures of an aircraft, Airbus indicated.
Of the 16 aircraft, 15 are operated by Emirates and one by Australia’s Qantas. Five Emirates planes must be inspected immediately, prior to any flight.
The United Arab Emirates carrier, based in Dubai, is Airbus’s main customer for the A380, with more than one hundred of these long-haul aircraft.
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Cracks on an aircraft “which could compromise the structural integrity of the wing” were discovered during inspections ordered by EASA in a December 2025 directive, the European manufacturer detailed.
All A380s “with the same production history” have been identified, and Airbus will perform immediate inspections on five aircraft.
