Airbus To Inspect 16 A380s After Cracks Found On Plane Wings.

Dubai; June 2026: Airbus has reiterated that it will inspect 16 A380 planes, 05 of them immediately, after cracks were found in a key wing component on aircraft used by the Emirates and Qantas airlines.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has ordered urgent inspections requiring airlines to examine the wing-spar structure on the affected jets after inspectors found cracks during routine maintenance checks.

The cracks appeared in a structural beam that runs along the wing and carries much of the aerodynamic load during flight.

Of the 16 planes to be inspected, 15 are operated by Emirates and 01 by Qantas. The 05 aircraft to be inspected immediately are flown by Emirates, and they were to undergo the process as soon as today (Wednesday – 24th June 2026).

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.

A Qantas spokesperson said there was no impact to Qantas flights as a result of the airworthiness directive. “We have 01 A380, which requires additional inspections. The aircraft was already in scheduled maintenance and we will comply with any additional requirements as a result of this airworthiness directive”.

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, the European aircraft manufacturer has asserted.

All A380s “with the same production history” have been identified, and Airbus will carry out immediate inspections on five aircraft. The Toulouse-based Airbus Company will discuss with EASA whether repairs are necessary, an Airbus spokesperson said.

The 11 other aircraft can be inspected later, but before their 13th flight, that is, 25 cycles, with 01 cycle consisting of a flight, a takeoff, and a landing.

The A380 has faced wing-related problems before and the EASA in 2012 ordered inspections after cracks were found in brackets linking the wing skin to internal ribs. That has affected the entire global A380 fleet and led to a costly repair programme which Airbus addressed through design changes on planes produced later.

It is of omnipotent importance that on 15th February 2019 – Airbus had pulled the plug on its struggling A380 superjumbo, which entered service just 12 years ago in 2007. According to the aircraft manufacturer, last deliveries of the world’s largest passenger aircraft, which cost about $25 billion to develop, would be made in 2021. The decision came after Emirates, the largest A380 customer, had cut down its order.

The A380 since 2015 was facing fierce competition from smaller, more efficient aircraft and has never made a profit.

What has prompted Airbus’ decision in 2019?

The A380’s future had been in doubt for several years as orders dwindled. But in a statement on Thursday, Airbus said the “painful” decision to end production was made after Emirates reduced its latest order. The Dubai-based airline is cutting its overall A380 fleet size from 162 to 123. Emirates had then said that it would take delivery of 14 further A380s during 2020-2021, but has also ordered 70 of Airbus’ smaller A330 and A350 models.

Why did the Airbus A380 fail?

The order cut meant keeping production going was not viable, the outgoing Airbus chief executive Tom Enders, had then said in February 2019, who later had stepped down in April 2019. There was “no basis to sustain production, despite all our sales efforts with other airlines in recent years”, he said.

Airbus has taken a €463 million charge for shutdown costs, but it is expected that the repayment of government loans could be waived to help cushion the blow.

The aerospace giant said the financial impact of the decision was “largely embedded” in the firm’s 2018 results, which showed a net profit for 2018 of €3 billion up nearly 30% from the previous year. Airbus said it would deliver between 880 and 890 new commercial aircraft this year.

The spacious jet, which had its first commercial flight in 2007 with Singapore Airlines, was popular with passengers but it was complicated and expensive to build, in part thanks to the way production was spread across various locations.

But ultimately demand for the A380 from airlines dried up as the industry shifted away from larger planes in favour of smaller, wide-body jets.

When Airbus was conceiving the A380, Boeing was also considering plans for a superjumbo. But the United States company decided to scrap the idea in favour of its smaller, efficient, and more successful – 787 Dreamliner.

Team Maverick.