EASA orders A380 inspections over wing cracks, putting Airbus under fresh scrutiny
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency EASA issued an emergency airworthiness directive requiring detailed inspections of all 218 Airbus A380 aircraft in service within sixty days after fatigue cracks were found in inner wing structures. Emirates, Qantas and British Airways have revised their flight schedules.
EASA's emergency directive AD 2026-0142-E, issued Tuesday, is based on fatigue cracks identified in inner wing structural fittings during routine C-check inspections on three independent airline fleets. The regulator requires ultrasonic inspection within sixty days for every A380 that has exceeded 26,000 flight cycles.
Emirates said Tuesday evening that 47 of its 116 A380s will remain grounded during the inspection period and that the Dubai-London, Dubai-New York and Dubai-Singapore routes will operate with Boeing 777 substitutes. Qantas in parallel temporarily reduced the Sydney-Los Angeles route to two daily rotations.
Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury said « safety is our top priority and we will support our customers throughout this process. » The stock dropped 3.1 percent at the open before recovering to a 0.8 percent loss after the manufacturer announced an emergency technical briefing in Toulouse. EASA will share initial findings within three weeks.
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