الرئيسية
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Airbus
blamed a combination of manufacturing and design flaws for wing cracks
on its A380 superjumbo but said it had found a simple solution to the
problem, easing concerns among analysts who had feared the issue could
dog the European plane-maker.
In unusually frank remarks, a top Airbus
executive said it had established how to repair the cracks found on a
small number of parts inside the A380's wings, which had prompted
European safety authorities to order inspections last week.
Airbus and one
of the leading operators, Singapore Airlines, also confirmed a Reuters
report that more examples of the cracks had been found during compulsory
inspections [ID:nL5E8CO440].
Airbus moved to
shore up confidence in the world's largest jetliner amid a drip-feed of
disclosures about cracking on components used to fix the outside of the
wing to its ribcage.
"The A380 is safe to fly," said Tom Williams, executive vice president of programs at Toulouse-based Airbus.
Williams flew to Dublin to give an unscheduled address at an industry conference to dampen any concerns about safety.
Crucially, he said engineers had ruled out metal fatigue on the youthful aircraft which first entered service in 2007.
blamed a combination of manufacturing and design flaws for wing cracks
on its A380 superjumbo but said it had found a simple solution to the
problem, easing concerns among analysts who had feared the issue could
dog the European plane-maker.
In unusually frank remarks, a top Airbus
executive said it had established how to repair the cracks found on a
small number of parts inside the A380's wings, which had prompted
European safety authorities to order inspections last week.
Airbus and one
of the leading operators, Singapore Airlines, also confirmed a Reuters
report that more examples of the cracks had been found during compulsory
inspections [ID:nL5E8CO440].
Airbus moved to
shore up confidence in the world's largest jetliner amid a drip-feed of
disclosures about cracking on components used to fix the outside of the
wing to its ribcage.
"The A380 is safe to fly," said Tom Williams, executive vice president of programs at Toulouse-based Airbus.
Williams flew to Dublin to give an unscheduled address at an industry conference to dampen any concerns about safety.
Crucially, he said engineers had ruled out metal fatigue on the youthful aircraft which first entered service in 2007.