Qantas and Emirates have been forced to ground multiple Airbus A380 planes after cracks were found in a structural wing beam. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ordered urgent inspections after cracks were discovered during routine maintenance checks on aircraft operated by Emirates and Qantas. The cracks appeared in a structural beam that runs along the wing and carries much of the aerodynamic load during flight.
Airbus will inspect 16 A380 planes, five of them immediately. Of the 16 planes to be inspected, 15 are operated by Emirates and one by Qantas. The five aircraft to be inspected immediately are flown by Emirates, and they were to undergo the process as soon as Wednesday.
Airlines using the A380 include Emirates, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Korean Air, Etihad Airways, ANA and Asiana Airlines. Emirates operates the largest A380 fleet in the world, flying over half of all active superjumbos.
Cracks on an aircraft that "could reduce the structural integrity of the wing" were discovered during inspections ordered by EASA in a directive issued in December 2025. All A380s "with the same production history" have been identified, and Airbus will carry out immediate inspections on five aircraft.
An Airbus spokesperson said the Toulouse-based plane manufacturer will discuss with EASA whether repairs are necessary. The 11 other aircraft can be inspected later, but before their thirteenth flight, that is, 25 cycles, with one cycle consisting of a flight, a takeoff, and a landing.
The A380 has faced wing-related problems before: in 2012, EASA ordered inspections after cracks were found in brackets linking the wing skin to internal ribs. That affected the entire global A380 fleet and led to a costly repair programme which Airbus addressed through design changes on planes produced later.