Dubai carrier Emirates Airline has said it will keep its Airbus A380s in the skies, despite a call for the world's superjumbos to be grounded over concerns raised by engineers over their safety
Emirates Airline has said it will keep its Airbus A380s in the skies, despite a call for the world's superjumbos to be grounded over concerns raised by engineers over their safety.
The Dubai carrier - the biggest operator of the iconic twin-decked passenger aircraft - says it is closely monitoring its fleet after Airbus found minor cracks in a small number of aircraft during maintenance work.
The European manufacturer said the cracks do not affect the safety of its famous aircraft. Singapore Airlines and Australian carrier Qantas have both said that cracks - reportedly less than a centimetre in length - have been found on A380 aircraft they have operated, but stressed they posed no danger to passengers. Airbus has said it will advise airlines to check for the small cracks when their superjumbos are due for heavy maintenance - every four years.
The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) has called for the entire global fleet of A380s to be grounded and individually checked. In a statement released to 7DAYS an Emirates spokesperson said yesterday: "In response to the discovery of minuscule cracks in five Airbus A380 aircraft, Emirates is closely monitoring its fleet. The aircraft remain fully airworthy and no risk is posed to flight safety, as affirmed by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the aircraft manufacturer, Airbus. The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority."
The aircraft's position chimes with that of the other major operators of the aircraft. However, ALAEA union secretary Steve Purvinas told the BBC yesterday: "We can't continue to gamble with people's lives and allow those aircraft to fly around and hope they make it to their four-year inspection."
Emirates is the biggest customer for the Airbus A380, having already placed orders for 90 of the high-profile aircraft.
© 7Days 2012
