Cracks Found On Airbus A380 Wings

Two airlines operating Airbus A380 superjumbo aircraft reported that cracks had been discovered on the wings of their A380s.  The airlines, Singapore and Qantas, and the manufacturer of the aircraft, Airbus, stated that the tiny cracks do not effect the safe operation of the A380 fleet.

Airbus reported that it has traced the origin of the problem. It has also developed an inspection and repair procedure that will be carried out during regular four-year maintenance checks.

Singapore Airlines was the launch carrier of the A380 and operates 14, with five on order.  Qantas currently operates 10 and has 10 on order.  Other operators of the Airbus A380 include Air France and Lufthansa.